Rugby-Parisse still in running to make final Italian appearance

Italian rugby great Sergio Parisse could still get the swansong he has longed for at the Six Nations next month, with coach Kieran Crowley saying he could be selected if fit and in form.

Italian rugby great Sergio Parisse could still get the swansong he has longed for at the Six Nations next month, with coach Kieran Crowley saying he could be selected if fit and in form. Italy's leading appearance maker was due to retire from international rugby after the 2019 World Cup before changing his mind, while the coronavirus pandemic put paid to a scheduled farewell appearance at last year's Six Nations.

Parisse declared himself available for this year's tournament, only to be omitted from the original squad with a wrist injury, but Crowley insisted the door is open for the 38-year-old to make his long-awaited farewell. "He's always indicated that he would like to come back, if his form was up to it," coach Crowley told a news conference on Wednesday. "And he was playing very well, early in the season.

"So when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago, we decided that he needed to get back on the pitch and get back his competence and we can then reassess the situation after the England game (on Feb. 13). If his form warrants it at that stage, we will consider him for selection. "Certainly he is a player that before he had this injury was playing very well and deserved to be considered for selection."

Parisse's 142 international test caps trail only Wales' Alun Wyn Jones and New Zealand's Richie McCaw on the all-time list. Italy will need all of Parisse's experience as they look to bring an end to a 32-match losing streak in the Six Nations, a run which stretches back to 2015.

"You can be competitive and you can get beaten by 20 points in today's game," Crowley added. "We have got to worry about the little battles and aim to win the little battles and hopefully they all turn into a big win. "Hopefully we can get across the line once and if we can do that we would be absolutely stoked."