Mitchell played once on the summer tour of Japan after featuring three times in the RBS 6 Nations last season and he’s now looking to push on and become a permanent figure in the matchday 23.
The former Ospreys tight-head knows he faces a tough test to unseat Lions star Adam Jones from a starting berth for the opening game against South Africa but he feels confident he can produce his best rugby in the lead up to that November 9 clash in Cardiff.
“I’ll be delighted if I’m picked in the squad and disappointed if I’m not. But if I’m not I’ll take it on board and keep working hard,” said Mitchell, who knows that playing his club rugby outside of Wales won’t see him sidelined if he impresses on a regular basis.
“It would be disappointing not to be picked but if you’re not playing and not performing then you can’t question it.
“Adam’s a great player and he always has been. He’s the cornerstone of the Welsh pack and he’s worked hard to get there. It’s a case of keeping my head down and if any doors open I’ll be there to take those chances.
“Selection is out of your control, but you know you’ve got to be playing regularly and you know you’ve got to be playing well. If you’re not doing that then you can’t expect to be selected for Wales. If I keep working hard at Exeter then hopefully the benefits will come.”
Before he can turn his attentions to adding to his 15 Wales caps, Mitchell first faces a big battle to make the Exeter No3 shirt his own in his third season in Devon, with the likes of Carl Rimmer, Hoani Tui and Alex Brown all pressing hard for a start.
Mitchell didn’t feature in last weekend’s final pre-season defeat to Glasgow but he did start the 51-7 win over Bristol having played the second 40 minutes at the Scarlets a fortnight ago.
And he will now be hoping for a clean bill of a health in the new campaign after missing last year’s autumn Tests with an arm injury and then sitting out the opening international in Japan with an ankle problem.
“I’ve been hindered a bit with injury since I’ve been here at Exeter but I feel I’ve improved with the more games I’ve played. It’s unfortunate that I’ve had a couple of setbacks but I’m really looking forward to the new season. I’m injury free and just looking ahead to push forward,” added Mitchell.
“They do say that props improve with age. I’ve hit 27, which is quite old in rugby terms, and I want to put my stamp on things and get into the Exeter first team regularly.
“I’m settled here now and I know all the boys so I’m really enjoying it. The Aviva Premiership is a tough league: it’s very physical and it’s brutal some weeks, but you’ve just got to take that on board, learn from your mistakes and improve.”
