Parisse defies the odds... and gravity
Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful
What’s happening here?
It’s March 16, 2013 and Sergio Parisse is rising impossibly high, or so it seems, to beat Donnacha Ryan to the ball playing for Italy against Ireland in a Six Nations fixture at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Cian Healy and Mike McCarthy have lifted the Ireland jumper while Italy lock Quentin Geldenhuys is providing the grunt for his skipper. There is also a second Italian lifter, partially obscured by Cian Healy, who I am guessing is Lorenzo Cittadini.
What is the story behind the picture?
The remarkable world class consistency and talent of Serio Parisse is the narrative to this picture, the man who never let Italy down in 142 Tests with power to add this Autumn as he tries to finally retire from the game he has graced for so long. You could access the picture files for any one of those games since he made his Test debut in 2002 and find an image similar to this.
The ability to never let his standards drop, in a losing or struggling side where victory was the exception not the norm, over the best part of two decades at the sharp end is the great genius of Parisse. You suspect a number of quality players could take the eye for a long period of time in a side that regularly wins trophies and championships. When you are surrounded by classy players all that success and silverware builds its own momentum.
But to remain world class – and by that I mean there was at least a decade or more in which Parisse would automatically command a starting place at No.8 in a hypothetical World XV – while playing in a middling and indeed struggling team in which defeat was often inevitable is quite remarkable. Even some of the biggest names in rugby’s history would have struggled with that.
There has never been an Italy game in which he played when his side didn’t look to Parisse, even as an 18-year-old making his debut he was clearly a starman and totem pole player. The pressure was always on, he could never afford a quiet afternoon.
If Parisse wasn’t on top form, Italy would probably get hammered, that was the harsh truth. As for winning, that was never going to happen unless he produced yet another stellar performance. Rarely did he fall short but to have the spirit and doggedness to keep repeating doomed excellence in adversity and defeat made Parisse very special.
What happened next?
Well glory be on this occasion Italy managed to claim a famous victory, beating Ireland 22-15, keeping the Irish tryless at the Olympic Stadium. Parisse was brilliant and they were good value for that win against a strongish but misfiring Ireland side who got so frustrated that Brian O’Driscoll copped a yellow card for a rare piece of foul play. It was Italy’s second victory of that season’s tournament and it all appeared a bit more hopeful back then.
At the time it seemed like Parisse might be moving towards the end of his Test career with RWC2015 probably his jumping off point but after leading Stade Francais to a T14 title that year he seemed to get a second wind. Alas he missed almost all of RWC2015 with injury, which made up his mind. He would continue through to RWC2019.
Why is the picture iconic?
It’s a glorious action picture of an iconic player in excelsis. Parisse was/is many things but along with Imanol Harinordoquy he is the best all purpose lineout forward the modern day game has seen – front, middle and especially the back. As with Imanol he possessed outstanding innate jumping ability regardless of whether he was using a lifter or lifters. His standing jump was off the scale but when Italy got their lifting routine working smoothly he was untouchable.
It’s one thing reaching for the skies but you also need ball handling abilities, eye-hand coordination and timing. Parisse had all that and more. Here he is making contact with the ball at the height of his vertical jump and at the very parabola of the throw. At the last minute he twists – it’s Ireland’s throw in and it’s less than straight – and ends up towering feet above Ryan.
Parisse’s other great skill was the adroit one-handed catch and feed/flick to the scrum-half and again he and Imanol – who both played a lot of basketball as juniors – were the early pioneers of this spectacular skill which never fails to take your breath away. Nor was it showing off. The one-handed take has a lot going for it if you are skilful enough.
Firstly, just as a wicketkeeper can cover more ground going for a wide catch one handed, the lineout jumper ace can eke out a couple of extra vertical inches with a one-handed effort. What you also have to factor in is that lineouts weren’t always as well policed as they have been in the last four or five years. Parisse learned his rugby when the lineout was a jungle when you needed a free hand to fight off interference!
Footnote: Sad to relate Italy have won just one Six Nations game – Scotland in 2015 – since this picture was taken.
“Parisse learned his rugby when lineouts were a jungle... you needed a free hand to fight off interference”