Johnson will hope to improve on his fantastic 2010-11 season and get international recogniton © Getty Images

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News: Naqelevuki targets play-off spot

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter is delighted with the start his squad have made to pre-season training ahead of the 2011-12 Aviva Premiership season and is looking forward to welcoming back England Saxons flanker Tom Johnson.

The bulk of the Chiefs' squad regrouped last week as they attempt to prove their first season in the Premiership, where they finished an impressive eighth, was not just a one-off. Baxter was delighted with the attitude his side have shown thus far. "The first week back has gone very well and whenever testing goes well that is always a good start," Baxter said. "Virtually the whole squad have met their targets first off, so it shows the guys obviously got lots of work done whilst they were away. They all look in good condition and in good spirits and we're not having too much time spent in the physio room, which is perfect. All in all it has meant we have got off to a flying start."

England Saxons flanker Tom Johnson, who enjoyed a phenomenal 2010-11 season, will return to pre-season imminently and Baxter was pleased to welcome back Fijian centre Sireli Naqelevuki last Friday. "TJ should be back in a week or so and Sireli has now arrived back too," said the coach. "This is great news as it means we have Sireli in a great deal earlier that we did last season, so we will be able to get a good bit of work under his belt."

"Also Josh Tatupu being here now is more good news, he's been working hard with us this week, so we are starting to look a bit of a complete package. Craig Mitchell came down last week and showed his face before he went away with Wales, so we are comfortable with where we are and it's a nice working environment for us all to be in right now." When Mitchell eventually links up with the Devon side, he will be joined by fellow new signings former Bath lock Peter Short and former Glasgow Warriors lock Aly Muldowney.

Exeter will start their pre-season campaign against Connacht on August 13 and will play further warm-up matches against Cornish Pirates and Scarlets before starting their Premiership campaign away at Leicester on September 3. Baxter is relishing seeing his side back on the field. "The pre-season games are not too far away now and I'm quite pleased about that," Baxter said. "Rugby players they like playing, they need games to get them focused and remind them of what it is all about.

"Personally, I'm very excited to be back and can't wait to get back to playing again. You can make some good gains in pre-season, you can get yourself well organised and you can work on some new things, which is what we are doing, but at the same time everything should be about playing rugby on a Saturday in front of a good crowd and producing a good performance. For me those first few games can't come soon enough, but at the same time we do have things we need to work on and we will do that over the next three or four weeks."