Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says he is encouraged with how his squad building for next season is going.
The Chiefs have agreed new terms with players including Stephen Varney, Will Goodrick-Clarke and Ethan Roots.
After a difficult campaign in 2024-25, where Exeter finished second-from-bottom in the league, the club has reacted well this term.
They are third in the Prem, four points off leaders Northampton at the midway stage of the season, and will progress to the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup regardless of their result against Cardiff at the weekend.
Baxter is hopeful he will be able to retain the core of the side that has lost just two league games all season.
“I’m really trying to look to get some continuity from our frontline players,” he told BBC Sport.
“I think as much continuity as you can get for two or three years, obviously they’ve got to be good enough, but I think we have got a particularly good group with that frontline 23, 25 players.
“I really want continuity out of them, and then our job as coaches is to keep improving them, keep improving the guys who are outside that frontline 25 and obviously recruitment-wise keep trying to recruit quality into that group as well.”
While Rusi Tuima and Josh Hodge will be moving to Newcastle in the summer, Baxter is hopeful most of his other out-of-contract players will re-sign.
England centre Henry Slade is the highest-profile player who is coming to the end of his deal at Sandy Park.
“I already think what we’ve got lined up for next season looks a very strong group,” Baxter said.
“We’re not scratching around trying to make signings at the moment.
“We’re getting pretty close to what we want to have for next year.
“I’ve still got a few re-signings to do but I’m pretty happy that those will happen in the coming weeks.
“I’m pretty comfortable where we are with nearly everybody in the squad.
“Things are to be announced as we get signatures on paper and everyone’s happy to make things announced so we’re moving along pretty well.”
