Sergio Parisse arrived at Italy's training base in Cobham on Tuesday morning from Paris to link up with his teammates ahead of Sunday's Rugby World Cup match against Ireland at the Olympic Stadium.

It was an important fillip on the day when Italian captain and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini was almost certainly ruled out of the Ireland game while prop Martin Castrogiovanni is also hampered by a niggle

The Italian talisman and number eight had been receiving treatment in France for a bruised calf which required draining and as a result had not played in his country’s first two matches in the tournament.

Italian team doctor Vincenzo Ieracitano said: “He hasn’t been training for three weeks and will now be trying to play a massive match on Sunday. He’s happy to be here and confident he will be able to play.”

“He has been continuing the physiotherapy that he was undergoing in Paris. This afternoon he will have physiotherapy to get him over his journey from Paris, and then he will join in training in the gym and on the pitch.

“Tomorrow he will definitely train with the rest of the squad, then on Thursday he will go through a fitness test in the gym and if that goes well, we will see how he gets on in training and then we will have another check to see if he can play.”

He then clarified the injury position on Ghiraldini: “He suffered a slight pull of the hip flexor in his right leg. The cryotherapy treatment has helped a lot with his recovery and we will check on him again on Thursday.

"It is not likely that he will be back on Sunday (when Italy play Ireland), but he is almost certain to be back for the match after (v Romania, October 11th)."