New-look Tigers 'really need to push on' - Parling

Geoff Parling has rejoined Leicester 10 years after his playing career at the club ended

New Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling says the club have "lost a lot of leaders" and were "satisfactory" in their 76-26 pre-season win over Championship side Nottingham Rugby at Welford Road on Saturday.

Former England and British and Irish Lions lock Geoff Parling was announced as Michael Cheika's successor in May and is in charge of a squad in transition after the departures of key players including Ben Youngs - a five-time Premiership winner with Tigers - and four-time champion Dan Cole.

"There's a lot of work to do just to create clarity in our game and that bit of cohesion," Parling told BBC Radio Leicester.

"People probably don't realise how changed the first-team group is. Players have to understand that I expect them to work hard - and they want to work hard."

Parling signed six players in June and has a new coaching team featuring Cole, former Wales defence coach Mike Forshaw as assistant and the returning Anthony Allen, a two-time Premiership winner as a Leicester centre.

"I arrived two and a half weeks after pre-season started and we've had lads drip-feeding back in, so it's been fragmented," said Parling.

"We want to try to connect a relatively new group. People said to me we've lost a lot of leaders, which we have - I think it was 511 caps of experience.

"It's an opportunity for new lads to step up, take a grip of this squad and really move it forward. It's their team."

New hooker Jamie Blamire scored three of Leicester's 12 tries against Nottingham, but Parling felt his side occasionally "compounded" their errors.

"We really need to push on," said the 41-year-old. "I'm not pleased with shipping as many points as we did.

"It's satisfactory overall, maybe. Leicester Tigers fans want to see a team that is organised and works hard for each other.

"I'd hope we'd have a strong set piece, a decent defence and work on the back of that. There is work to do in all of those areas."

Parling, who won two Premiership titles as a Tigers player between 2009 and 2015, was assistant coach with Australia until August, working with the Wallabies for the series against the British and Irish Lions.

"I finished that last Test on Saturday, went back to Melbourne on the Sunday and we flew as a family to Leicester on Monday," he said.

"We landed on Tuesday and I started work on Wednesday. It's been a whirlwind and I've not really had time to step back and reflect at all.

"I'm enjoying it so far. I love this club and the community. The people have been super-friendly.

"Club and family-wise, it's been a positive start. It's an iconic stadium and club and I'm very proud to be representing it.

"My wife would say I'm never happy with anything. I certainly think we've got a hungry group of players.

"We need to be more consistent in our application to the basics. We need to do it every time, not just some of the time."

Leicester host Saracens on Saturday (15:00 BST) and visit Harlequins on 19 September (19:45) in the Premiership Rugby Cup before starting their league campaign at Bristol Bears on 28 September (15:30).