Head Or Heart?

 

As we approach the start of the 2022 Six Nations we begin predicting who will be in Kieran Crowley’s first squad. He has some big decision to make especially with the injury problems that Italy have at tighthead prop. Another problem is the serious lack of game time that both Zebre and his players abroad are getting. But one question dwarfs them all. The question of Parisse.

It was October 4th 2019 in the Shizuoka Stadium, Japan that Sergio 'Rugby God' Parisse last played for Italy. A game against the Boks that lives in the memory for all the wrong reasons. Simone Ferrari getting injured within the first two minutes of the game. Then his replacement, a young Marco Riccioni, also getting injured little over fifteen minutes later. It then went from bad to worse when a moment of madness from Andrea Lovotti lead to the Azzurri playing the last half an hour with 14 men. Inevitably the flood gates opened and the eventual champions romped home 49-3. With one pool game remaining things went from bad to worse to a typhoon and with that Parisse’s career was over.

2020 and like a phoenix Parisse rose from the ashes and vowed one final bow against England in Rome. Then the pandemic happened and again we had to wait for our goodbye. Then a calf injury saw Parisse unavailable for the 2021 Six Nations and it was once again thought that Parisse’s Italy career was done. Once again he returned and fought his way back into a Toulon team that had suffered without his presence. This form ended up with Parisse signing a one year extension to his contract and with a home game against the All Blacks in sight we once again dreamt of his return in the Azzurri blue. Yet again we were disappointed as Parisse suffered a cruel wrist injury which kept him out of the Autumn internationals. At this point it did start to feel like there was a higher force which was refusing to let Parisse retire and who would blame it? Or maybe it was a 38 year-old body whose career was starting to catch up with it? And so we reach present day, nearly two and a half years later, where we have a fit and healthy Sergio Parisse, available for selection with less than a month till the start of the 2022 Six Nations. Yet again we dream.

Parisse’s latest return from injury has been so impressive that we start to wonder whether he will play more than just a single match at home. Italy’s current team is severely lacking international experience with the majority of caps belonging to players outside of the starting XV. In fact only Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri and Edoardo Padovani are players in my starting XV with over 20 caps. The problem at the moment is that Italy’s best players are either just starting their international careers (e.g. Paolo Garbisi 13 caps, Stephen Varney 9 caps & Michele Lamaro 10 caps) or older players only just gaining residence (e.g. Hame Faiva 27 years old, Nacho Brex 29 years old & Monty Ioane 27 years old). Parisse’s 142 caps would dwarf the combined total of the rest of the starting line up and could be exactly what the team needs in what will be a very tough campaign. Unfortunately for Parisse the back row is one area of the pitch where Italy have numerous options. Even while we wait for the return of Jake Polledri, the addition of Toa Halafihi will provide Crowley with excellent options in the squad. So maybe it is more sensible to expect to see Parisse’s contribution limited to the 2 home fixtures in Rome. 

I personally would like to see Parisse played in the second row. Now of course I would insist that Parisse kept the No. 8 shirt as it wouldn’t look right if he didn’t. His ability as jumper at the line out would be a massive asset to a team that has suffered with the set piece for a while. Much like Alessandro Zanni and Dean Budd it is not the biggest transition for an ageing back rower to make. The fact that he hasn’t played the role for Toulon may make this too bigger risk for Crowley to take but I wouldn’t be unhappy to see him experiment with it.

Another added incentive for Parisse to be picked is the impact it will have on the younger players to have played in the same team as him. So many of the young players who are now starters for the national team have never played with their greatest ever player. Garbisi, Lamaro, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Danilo Fischetti, etc. will have watched Parisse since they were small children and I’m sure they would take a massive boost from training and playing with an Italian rugby icon.

Some will ask weather playing him is a luxury that Italian rugby cannot afford. Considering the likelihood that Italy will once again lose every match, what advantage does it serve Italian rugby to deny match experience to players of the future? On the other hand, he is a player who brings unrivalled experience and who has been playing at a much higher domestic level than any of the other back rowers. I feel that Italian rugby needs to see their hero play one more time. Mostly for him. For the amount he has given Italian rugby he deserves his swan song. Fans also deserve the chance to say goodbye to their idol. It would be cruel on us to leave that game against South Africa as our final memory. For now all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that no more delays come between us and our greatest player’s farewell.