Parisse boosts Italy for crucial RWC clash

Oct 2, 2015 - 6:01 PM Talismanic Italy captain Sergio Parisse returns to the side for his first game of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in the must-win Pool D game against Six Nations champions Ireland on Sunday.

The 32-year-old No.8, who missed the first two games following surgery to drain a haematoma on his calf, is one of five changes to the starting XV who scraped a 23-18 win over Canada last weekend.

Parisse's aura is such that the Irish have said they fear the impact he could have on reviving his side's morale as they drive for a victory needed to maintain any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.

Parisse comes into the team for Samuela Vunisa and takes captaincy duties back from Leonardo Ghiraldini, who misses the match with a thigh muscle injury.

Parisse, who becomes the sixth Italy player to participate in four World Cups, is joined in the back row by Simon Favaro with whom he has formed a potent partnership.

Italy have won three of the last four tests when Parisse and Favaro started together in the back row, a sequence that began with Italy's first ever Six Nations win over Ireland, 22-15, in Rome in 2013.

That was prior to present Ireland coach Joe Schmidt taking over and guiding the Irish to two successive Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015.

There are 13 players in Italy's match-day squad that were involved that day.

Aside from Parisse and Favaro three of them come in the pack, tighthead Lorenzo Cittadini, and locks Quintin Geldenhuys and Josh Furno.

A win for Ireland at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday would see both them and France qualify out of Pool D for the knockout stages.

Italy team to play Ireland:

Luke McLean, Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Gonzalo Garcia, Giovanbattista Venditti, Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori, Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Francesco Minto, Josh Furno, Quintin Geldenhuys, Lorenzo Cittadini, Andrea Manici, Matias Aguero.

Reserves: Davide Giazzon, Michele Rizzo, Dario Chistolini, Alessandro Zanni, Mauro Bergamasco, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna, Tommaso Benvenuti.

Source: AAP