Sergio Parisse admitted it was hard to watch teammate Leonardo Ghiraldini on the sidelines after the veteran hooker went off injured in Italy’s Guinness Six Nations clash with France.
Azzurri skipper Parisse was almost in tears as he spoke of Ghiraldini, who has also captained Italy but went off with a serious-looking knee injury in the second half of the 25-14 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico.
Parisse hinted that the game could be his last in the Championship – in Round One against Scotland he broke the record for the most appearances by any player.
He has been playing alongside Ghiraldini since 2006 and was clearly moved at seeing his long-term teammate in pain on the sidelines.
He explained: “At the end of the game, seeing Leo on crutches was a really hard feeling. There have been so many sacrifices behind the scenes.
“I’m sorry for the tears but I’m really sorry for Leo because he is one of those players who I have spent so many years playing alongside.
“Seeing him on crutches and so disappointed, it’s not something he deserves. I don’t know what the result of his injury will be, I hope it’s not that serious. If it is, I’m sure he will do everything to be with us in Japan.
“When you see a teammate, a friend who is hurt like that, those are the hard moments, obviously with the result of the game which adds to that frustration.”
The Azzurri pushed France for large periods of the game in Rome, and could have taken the lead in the closing stages when Marco Zanon looked set for a debut try.
However Damian Penaud got back to force a knock-on as Zanon crossed the line before scoring a try to seal the win.
