Home from home for Hughes

Utility back Adam Hughes admits it hasn't taken long for him to feel right at home as an Exeter Chief ahead of his debut for the club this weekend.

Hughes, who made the move from Bristol over the summer, has had to wait patiently as the Chiefs have enjoyed a stellar start to Aviva Premiership Rugby.

Rob Baxter's men currently sit third in the table but that will be put aside for now with a potentially tough trip to French side Bayonne in the European Rugby Challenge Cup lying in wait on today.

And Hughes, who has been named a starter at centre, says he is ready to put the lessons already learned into practice.

"As Rob (Baxter) said, we are ahead of where we wanted to be already so it has been a very positive start. We have got a lot of points on the board," said the Welshman.

"The boys have told me about last year and how they got off to a really good start and faded a bit but they have learnt the lessons of last year.

"I have loved it. It has been a really good couple of months. The boys have been really good and I am learning a lot with each week.

"I have heard so many good things about the club so I was really excited to come down here.

"We have got a big challenge down in Bayonne - they are going better this year than they did last year and we have got to impose our game on them."

Exeter's pool is rounded off by La Rochelle and the in-form Connacht, who have turned a few heads by winning four of their first six games in the Pro12.

And now Hughes is no longer on the outside looking in, he admits the onus is now on him to help keep the Chiefs' good run going.

He added: "It is quite daunting but it is definitely exciting. I have just got to take this chance. If I can do it against a top team in France, that's great and it puts me in good stead going forward.

"It is just maintaining it now. To go into the next block of fixtures in third place is great for the whole squad - it's huge for us."