Warren Gatland’s men kick off the defence of their RBS 6 Nations title in Cardiff on February 1, with Italy standing in the way of a 10th win in the last 11 tournament games.
And while the rugby world knows Wales will have to be prepared for one of the sternest examinations around when it comes to forward play and the setpiece in particular, Parisse and Brunel have warned that this current Italian squad will offer a far more extensive threat than that.
“Back in 2008, the questions were all about us having a good scrum, but I think we are more complete as a team now,” said Parisse. “We can play in our backs and play a good kind of rugby, it’s not just about dominating the scrum.
“We’ve got to stick to that attacking style, we’ve got to go at it. There are some risks you’ve just got to take, rather than just kicking ball away and defending the line.
“We beat Ireland and France last year, and our objective is to continue this way. We lost it slightly in June and November and we’ve got to bring that back now.”
Italy finished fourth in last season’s competition thanks to an opening weekend win over the French and a final round success against the Irish.
It was the first time they had picked up more than one win since 2007 and Brunel says he is desperate to see his side kick on again this term despite the loss of the likes of veterans Gonzalo Canale and Andrea Masi to long-term injury.
“We must be ambitious, we won twice last year against Ireland and France,” said Brunel, who has picked a host of promising youngsters who regularly ply their trade against the majority of the Wales squad in the RaboDirect PRO12.
“It’s a problem when you take out key men like Canale and Masi because, in terms of depth, we do not have a pool of 40 or 50 players to choose from. Their experience is vital, but what we must do now is usher in young players as quickly as possible.
“We have to integrate them very quickly to the level of competition: the speed of the game, the choices, the decisions, the reactions and how you can adapt to what happens.
“What we need to do is trust them, show them they can do what they need to do. We have to integrate them quickly, and that’s when the older and more experienced players come in.”
