Parisse to miss Italy World Cup opener against France

Sport360 staff 19:47 12/09/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Sergio Parisse has amassed 112 caps for Italy.

    Italy captain Sergio Parisse has declared himself unfit for the opening World Cup clash against France at Twickenham, the Italian management announced on Saturday.

    – Wales: Leigh Halfpenny ruled out of Rugby World Cup
    – INTERVIEW: #RWC11 ghosts still haunt Roberts

    The 31-year-old Argentine-born No 8, capped 112 times by Italy and their star player, has not fully recovered after undergoing surgery to drain a haematoma last Monday.

    He picked up the injury, a swelling of clotted blood, in a muscle in his left leg in Italy's World Cup warm-up defeat to Wales in Cardiff last weekend.

    The federation initially said Parisse would not meet up with the Italy team in Rome on Saturday but will instead link up "at a later date" in England.

    Manager Jacques Brunel said he was hoping Parisse would be fit for Italy's second game, against Canada the following Saturday.

    After the Group D curtain-raiser against the French Italy face Ireland, Canada and Romania.

    Recommended