Home form is key - Mumm

New Exeter Chiefs captain Dean Mumm believes after three steady seasons in the Aviva Premiership a top-four finish is well within the club's sights, as long as they can replicate their stellar home form away from Sandy Park.

Having been promoted up from the Championship in 2010 the Chiefs have looked well at home in the Aviva Premiership, with fifth and sixth-place finishes in the last two seasons good enough for Heineken Cup rugby.

Blessed with many leaders as part of a strong squad - including last season's second most prolific point scorer fly-half Gareth Steenson and 2011-12 Aviva Premiership player of the season nominee James Scaysbrook - it is a good time for Exeter to challenge the top four.

And Mumm, who was named captain for this season by head coach Rob Baxter, is confident his side can realise their lofty ambitions and finish inside the play-off places for the first time if they can consistently pick up points both on the road and at home.

"I think the natural progression is now to look at top four. We're a side that is very ambitious in its outlook and we certainly want to be in that upper echelon of Premiership Rugby," said Mumm, who took over the captaincy from Irish forward Tom Hayes this summer.

"Saying that, I don't think we see that as a particularly short-term goal. You've got to be very established to do that year after year. For Exeter it's about laying the right foundations so we can tackle that.

"The focus is having a much more balanced and more consistent approach. Unfortunately last season we went through a period where we lost maybe five games on the trot - the top four sides don't do that.

"I think the real challenge for us is to pick up points consistently. We've had a good record at home but the challenge is to win a few more away games.

"We need to be more consistent in our performances and pick up points across the whole season. The last couple of years we finished really strongly when things start to get drier and conditions suit a more attacking game."

Mumm's words are well supported by Exeter's early form on their travels last season, only picking up their first win on the road with a 27-23 win over London Irish at the end of November at the fifth time of asking.

To add to their attacking prowess the Chiefs have recruited some firepower in the form of former Cardiff Blues star Tom James, who scored 53 tries in 130 games whilst in Wales, and Fetu'u Vainikolo who has seven tries in nine appearances for Tonga.

Since arriving in England from the Waratahs last year, Mumm has been impressed with the attacking nature of the Premiership and believes an improved defence could take his side to the next level.

"You look at the quality of the players in the Aviva Premiership and it continues to get even better. The perception is that it's not a super attacking competition, but the reality is it is," he added.

"I think most teams are scoring 15-20 points each week and that's a good sign of a very competitive and attacking style.

"We like to see ourselves as an attacking team and I think the challenge for us is to be defensively solid and a team that is as dominant as the top level teams.

"I think Leicester and Saracens were a cut above in terms of their defence last year and not surprising they are in the top four. That's one of the great things about rugby is it's a game of balance."