Parisse relishing captain’s role

ITALY captain Sergio Parisse insists he is more than ready to assume his new responsibilities as he prepares for this afternoon’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener at Dublin’s Croke Park.

The Stade Francais number eight will skipper his national team for the first time at Croke Park.

And although the 24-year-old admits he has no idea what he will say to his players, he believes he can lead the fight on the field against an Ireland team he knows will try anything within the rules.