Exeter Chiefs skipper Alan Miller has played down his side's Championship promotion aspirations, claiming instead that all the pressure is on Bristol Rugby.

Bristol were relegated from the Guinness Premiership at the end of last season and are expecting to fight it out with the ambitious Chiefs for promotion this term.

Exeter had to settle for finishing second to champions Leeds in 2008-09, despite accumulating 119 points from their 30 league matches.

And while they have lost key trio Josh Drauniniu, Lewis Stevenson and John Andress to Premiership Harlequins, they have recruited well by signing James Scaysbrook from Bath, Mark Foster from Gloucester and Suka Hufanga from Brive.

But 27-year-old flanker Miller, the Chiefs' club captain, feels much of the promotion focus will fall on Bristol.

In each of the past four seasons, the side relegated from the Premiership has won promotion from the Championship, with Harlequins, Leeds (twice) and Northampton bouncing back at the first attempt.

And Miller said: "It's pretty obvious that we want to get promoted this season, but I'm pretty sure you could say the same about four or five other clubs. It's going to be a tough old ask, especially with the play-offs the way they are, and on any given day it could go either way.

"We'll be aiming to go up, of course, but the pressure will be firmly back on Bristol.

"They have come down – and the trend is to go straight back up, so hopefully we'll be able to break that."

And while Miller expects Bristol Rugby to start the season as favourites, he cannot see one side dominating as Harlequins and Northampton have done in the past.

"Bristol will probably be favourites. But now that they've cut the league back to 12 sides from 16, those who are in there are all very good sides," he said.

"You wouldn't want to have to win your last play-off game at Coventry or Rotherham – as we found out last season. They're all tough places to play and I think London Welsh will do well, Nottingham are always in the mix, Bedford are always strong – in fact, every club in there has a strong side.

"As long as we're in the play-offs, we've got a chance. I don't think anyone will win every game this season – not Bristol, ourselves or anyone – and the team who goes through to the play-offs with the fittest squad and playing the best rugby will go up."