POOR Sergio Parisse. When the colossal Italian finally retires, he will be an obvious candidate for the World Rugby Hall of Fame: he is widely regarded as one of the best number eights ever to play the game, having twice been nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award. But whilst Mr Parisse is a rare talent, combining the power of a gigantic forward with the handling skills of a centre and the majestic stride of a winger, he also has the misfortune to play for Italy.
In the 16 years since they were given Tier 1 status and admitted to the Six Nations, the annual round-robin competition for Europe's best national sides, the Azzurri have had a dismal record. They have won just 12 of their 81 matches, picking up the wooden spoon on ten occasions. They will probably add to that unenviable collection in 2016: RugbyVision, a predictive model for fixtures and tournaments, gave Mr Parisse's men an 84% chance of finishing last at the start of this year's...Continue reading
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