Rob Baxter believes new signing Elvis Taione will be a vital member of Exeter Chiefs' squad next season, after securing a move from Jersey.
The 30-year-old hooker has been recruited as a replacement for Chris Whitehead, who was forced to retire following the Devon club's LV= Cup success in March.
Head coach Baxter wasted little time snapping up Tonga international Taione, who he had previously looked at during a front-row injury crisis.
The 5ft 11in, 17st 9lb player will link up with his new employers in the summer and Baxter thinks he will add good competition to Jack Yeandle and Luke Cowan-Dickie for the number two jersey.
Baxter said: "After what happened to Chris [Whitehead], which was a great shame for him, it was always going to be key for us to try to get a hooker.
"The nice thing with Elvis is that we had a good look at him before when we were struggling with the hooker injuries we had. I was aware of the qualities he was bringing to Jersey and I was able to look at some international performances, when he's performed really well.
"He's a little bit different to our other hookers, so they'll all add something different. He's a bit more up and down, he likes to knock people over and run hard and straight, but his set-piece is improving all the time.
"He wants to move to the Premiership for all the right reasons – he wants to be in a really good environment in the build-up to the World Cup. He's very ambitious to play well in that tournament and he knows, if he trains hard and plays well in a real pressure environment in the Premiership, it will hold him in good stead.
"I'm really pleased with the signing, I think he'll really add to the competition in a position in which we're very strong, and he'll be a vital member of the squad that's got a big job next year."
Baxter confirmed Taione's arrival in the wake of the Chiefs' 30-29 defeat at home against Harlequins yesterday, which ended their chance of being in the play-offs for the final place in the new European Champions Cup.
Exeter can finish no higher than eighth in the Premiership, with their season coming to a close at Newcastle this Saturday.
However, Baxter thinks that may be no bad thing as being in the second-tier European Challenge Cup will allow him to rotate his squad and give his less experienced men a chance to show what they can do in a less pressurised environment.
That includes players who are stepping up from the Championship. As well as Taione, that includes London Welsh lock Mitch Lees and London Scottish prop Tomas Francis, while Newport Gwent Dragons centre Adam Hughes is currently on loan at Bristol.
"A good, proven Championship player can step up and get up to speed pretty quickly with a good pre-season and with good guys around him," Baxter said of his signings.
"It's always a balance between bringing in guys you see and giving them opportunities as well as adding quality, and I think we're doing pretty well with both for next season.
"We still might be one or two signings away from where we want to be next season, especially with James Hanks retiring, but we're getting there and I'm comfortable with where we're at.
"The disappointment of not being in the Heineken Cup next year because of the great games you get involved in is countered by the fact you can manage your squad a little bit through the Amlin, and that has often proved to be very successful as well."
