MARCO RICCIONI repeats the mantra, extolling the double-edged virtues of life as a tight-head prop.
“Embrace the pain,” the Saracens scrum cornerstone declares. And in three words, the Italy star encapsulates both his rugby maxim and the mindset required. Riccioni talks about learning to love a spine compressed in rugby’s technical, tactical but always gladiatorial set-piece scrum.
The 25-year-old, who today signed a new two-year deal to stay at the StoneX, could so easily be discussing Teramo and L’Aquila’s recovery from the 2009 earthquake that killed more than 300 people, ravaged a community and ruined scores of historic buildings.
Riccioni was 11 when the quake hit, a young centre at L’Aquila watching senior players and staff clearing rubble and wreckage, then rebuilding.
The Azzurri front-rower was just six games into his Saracens career last term when a torn ACL on Test duty ended his season. Forced to watch last term’s 15-12 Premiership Final defeat by Leicester from the Twickenham stands, Riccioni now wants to repay Saracens’ faith through that injury when it comes to tomorrow’s showdown against Sale.
“You have to love the scrum, you can’t play there if you don’t love it,” Riccioni told Standard Sport.
Esta historia es de la edición May 26, 2023 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 26, 2023 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis