Comeback king Sergio aims to bow out in style

YOU can’t keep a good man down. Sergio Parisse has not been on our radar for a while and a possible stage-managed exit from big-time rugby was becoming a rather unbecoming saga.

Firstly, the weather gods put paid to a high-profile farewell at RWC2019 in Italy’s final pool game against New Zealand. Then came Covid and de facto retirement from Test rugby with national bubbles having to move as one during the 2020 and 2021 Six Nations.

There was half-hearted talk of trying to stage manage a one-off comeback in Rome for one of the games but this season looked more promising after he delayed his retirement from rugby altogether for a swansong season with Toulon.

It started well, he and Kieran Crowley agreed he would skip the Autumn games and get his head down and get some game time under his belt with Toulon but then a broken wrist saw him sidelined until December.

Again there was vague talk of perhaps returning for the final two games of the Six Nations but a young squad was beginning to show promise, not least in the back row. Was there really any mileage in bringing back a 38-year-old, who made his Italy debut 20 years ago, for a lap of honour. So all eyes turned to the Barbarians game against England next month, that would do nicely as a farewell.

But hold your horses. Parisse is a proud man and would have hated all this and his return to full-time action has coincided in a massive upturn in fortunes at Toulon. Since returning against Pau in December, Toulon have won ten of their last 13 Top 14 games with one match drawn as they have roared up the table. Parisse has started at No.8 in 11 of those games.

Perhaps he is not finished yet. First comes London Irish today in the European Challenge Cup and then they will concentrate on the final stages of the Top 14. You would fancy them to beat Pau at home but they could need to beat Racing in Paris to guarantee a place in the play-offs.

With Eben Etzebeth back in action and back to his best, Charles Ollivon making up for lost time, Cheslin Kolbe fresh after time off injured and Parisse looking to sign off in style it could be Toulon are timing their late run perfectly.