Sergio Parisse has been around for so long that his first Test coincided with the last Wimbledon men’s singles title won by an Australian – Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.
It was so long ago that a convert from Rugby League by the name of Jason Robinson was in the process of finding his dancing Union feet in an England team still almost 18 months away from laying their hands on the golden fleece of the World Cup. In a sport where the severity of the going can be gauged by the length of the casualty list, Parisse’s perennial presence as captain of Italy underlines his durability at the highest level. Given a fair wind and an even bounce of the ball, he will have climbed all the way to the top of a very distinguished list at the finish of this year’s NatWest 6 Nations.
Click here for the complete fixture list of the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations When Brian O’Driscoll called time at the end of the 2014 Championship, he left a record as monumental as his career, a grand total of 65 appearances, the equivalent of 13 consecutive seasons’ ever-presence. Most of the cognoscenti shook their heads in solemn reaffirmation that while some may get close, nobody would get close enough. They reckoned without Parisse or perhaps some assumed that maybe by now one of the very best No.8’s on the rugby planet would have run out of steam, the energy behind his valiant, never-ending struggle sapped by one wooden spoon struggle too many. If so, they reckoned without the captain’s relish for the fight and passion for the cause.
Five more matches, starting with England at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday, will take him level with O’Driscoll. He would happily sacrifice such personal landmarks for the team in pursuit of the only goal that matters, a winning Italy. Ever the pragmatist, Parisse does not waste his breath day-dreaming of a first title at what will be the 19th attempt since the Azzurri’s admission into the Championship in 2000, two years before the teenager from Treviso made his bow against the All Blacks. ‘’We are not in a position to talk about winning the tournament,’’ he says. ‘’So our objective is to perform as well as we can in every single game. We know that in some parts of the game we are not as strong as the other teams. We want to play good rugby and fight for 80 minutes.’’
The captain has been doing that all his life and, in a NatWest 6 Nations context, since 2004. His entry had been delayed by a few knocks but proved none the less historic for the wait, the 20-year-old starting by running smack into England’s first appearance as World Cup holders. This will be his 14th campaign, every one with the exception of 2010 which he missed completely due to a seriously damaged knee. That year apart, Parisse has been at the helm for 57 of Italy’s last 60 matches in this the most special of all Championships. Over that period he has worked under five coaches: a New Zealander (John Kirwan), a French Grand Slammer (Pierre Berbizier), a Springbok (Nick Mallett), another Frenchman (Jacques Brunel) and now a former Ireland full back who made a name for himself in club management at Harlequins, Conor O’Shea.
Embarking on his second championship, O’Shea has engaged one of the world’s most admired backs’ coaches, the New Zealander Wayne Smith, in a consultative role. Between them, they will strive to give Parisse the tactical wherewithal to leave England scratching their heads on a collective scale not dissimilar to Twickenham last year. They will have to go some to bamboozle the holders as much as they did then, their clever no-ruck policy at the break-down spreading enough mayhem through Red Rose ranks for Italy to reach half-time 10-5 ahead thanks to Giovanbattista Venditti’s converted try. Having worked their way through the puzzle, England duly recorded their 23rd straight win over Italy in 26 years, 18 of them in the NatWest 6 Nations. They will expect to keep the run intact not that Owen Farrell, for one, will take anything for granted. His second international, on a wintry Roman afternoon six years ago, ended with England scraping through 19-15 thanks to five goals from the new boy at inside centre and a lone try, from fly half Charlie Hodgson on what would be his last Test appearance.
For Parisse it proved to be the nearest Italy have got to turning the table upside down, unlike the first time he tangled with the then world champions and ‘Billy Whizz,’ aka Jason Robinson, helped himself to a hat-trick of tries in between his fellow Sale Shark Chris Jones scoring one on debut. Sunday’s opening round will be Parisse’s 130th international and if that is still 18 short of Richie McCaw’s world record then it’s fair to say that Italy’s back row colossus is showing no signs of slowing up at 34. Sergio may be in the twilight of his days but his powers of endurance are such that nobody ought to be surprised if he stretches them to a fifth World Cup next year. Sunday’s match will be his 82nd as captain, one behind the Springbok World Cup winner John Smit, two behind the Irish Grand Slammer Brian O’Driscoll and a long way short of McCaw (110). He won 97 of those and the fact that Parisse has wound up on the losing side almost as often serves only to enhance the nobility of his unyielding loyalty to the Italian cause. The start of Sergio Parisse’s long Six Nations road: Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Sunday February 15, 2004. Italy 9 England 50 Italy: A Masi; N Mazzucato, C Stoica, M Dallan, D Dallan; R Wakarua, P Griffen; A Lo Cicero, F Ongaro, M Castrogiovanni; S Dellape, M Bortolami; A de Rossi, capt., A Persico, S Parisse. Substitutes used: C Festuccia, S Perugini, C Checchinato, S Orlando, R de Marigny, Mirco Bergamasco. Not used: S Picone. Penalties: Wakarua 2. Drop goal: Wakarua. England: I Balshaw; J Lewsey, W Greenwood, J Robinson, B Cohen; P Grayson, A Gomarsall; T Woodman, S Thompson, P Vickery; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, R Hill, L Dallaglio, capt. Substitutes used: M Regan, J Leonard, S Shaw, C Jones, M Dawson, O Barkley, H Paul. Tries: Robinson 3, Balshaw, Lewsey, Grayson, Jones Conversions: Grayson 3 Penalties: Grayson 3.
Italy’s first NatWest 6 Nations fixture of 2018 sees them take on England on Sunday 4th February, 3:00pm at the Stadio Olimpico.
What are Italy’s 2018 NatWest 6 Nations fixtures?
Italy v England, Sun 4 Feb 2018, 3:00pm Ireland v Italy, Sat 10 Feb 2018, 2:15pm France v Italy, Fri 23 Feb 2018, 8:00pm Wales v Italy, Sun 11 Mar 2018, 3:00pm Italy v Scotland, Sat 17 Mar 2018, 12:30pm
Visit our NatWest 6 Nations fixtures 2018 section find out full fixture details including dates, kick-off times and TV details.
