Leicester Tigers: Can Geoff Parling be the one to ‘build’ at ‘volatile’ Prem side?

Parling was greeted as a “wildcard” appointment when named as Cheika’s successor, with the former British and Irish Lions international carving out his early coaching career down under.

But he does share much in common with a number of his predecessors.

Parling’s two Premiership titles in six years with Tigers came while playing under Cockerill, himself a decorated former Leicester player, who was in the top job for nearly eight years.

Then there is McKellar, who, like Parling, left his job as an assistant coach with Australia in 2023 to take the helm at Leicester. He lasted just one season in the job.

After McKellar’s departure, it was reported that he had lost the confidence of senior Tigers player.

Ben Youngs – a five-time Premiership title winner with Leicester, who retired after last season’s defeat by Bath in the final – admitted that he had been one of the senior players to talk to club management about McKellar’s role.

It highlighted what player power there is at Tigers, somewhere renowned for bringing through one-club players of legendary status.

Youngs and Dan Cole retired from rugby union as Leicester greats, but also as the two most capped male England players in history.

And while those two were among a high-profile group to move on in the summer, with captain Julian Montoya and two-time World Cup winning South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard also leaving, Parling says Tigers’ aims for future success need to come from the same foundations of commitment.

“I believe in cohesion,” Parling said.

“I believe if you get good players and you can keep them together for a long period of time, then in general that leads to good performances and winning rugby.”