Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
JOHN PASSING PUT WIN INTO PERSPECTIVE
There were raucous celebrations in Lansdowne Road as the Ireland fans saluted a first Triple Crown for 18 years in 2004.
But there was also tragedy half-way around the world as teenage flanker John McCall had died earlier that day in an Ireland shirt.
The 19-year- old had been in the Ireland side playing against New Zealand in the Under-19 World Championships at King’s Park, Durban.
Twenty minutes into the game, as a ruck broke up, McCall was motionless on the ground.
Just 10 days earlier he had captained Royal School, Armagh, to victory in the Ulster Senior Schools final.
Arrange
McCall died from sudden death syndrome after being rushed to King’s Park medical centre.
His death was confirmed and relayed to the IRFU approximately half an hour before the Six Nations kick- off.
IRFU CEO Philip Browne and Operation Director Martin Murphy left the ground before kick- off to arrange as much help as they could out in South Africa and would only return to the ground 10 minutes before the end.
Post- match Eddie O’Sullivan was taken aside following his pitchside interview and told the news.
By the time the team had got to the dressing room they had also heard the news.
“One minute you are doing a television interview about how great it is to win a Triple Crown,” noted captain Brian O’Driscoll, “the next you are trying to come to terms with news like that.
Cousin
“Because rugby is such a tight- knit community everyone’s thoughts are with family and friends.
“My cousin Cillian Willis was the Ireland scrum- half in that game in Durban, I’d taken part in the Under-19 championships a few years earlier.
“It put everything in perspective. You could say our celebrations were deferred for a day or so, there was a lot of champagne left unopened.”
John McCall’s funeral was later that week and the Ireland- New
Zealand Under-19 game was playing at the family wake; the medical centre at King’s Park was subsequently named after him.