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| Heading into the 2017/18 season McCall would note the knock-on effects of the ] - tiredness and, especially, lack of pre-season time.<ref> Telegraph. Mike Cleary. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref> This looked to become true as Saracens fell into a 7 game losing streak (the worst in over a decade) towards the end of 2017, with a bare mathematical scrape into the ECC Quarter-Finals.<ref name=":2"> Independent. Jack de Menezes. 26/05/18. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref> Saracens would then be knocked out against Leinster (the ultimate ECC champions), their earliest departure in half a decade.<ref name=":2"/> However additional rest time enabled a strong AP run-in, with a 27-10 defeat of Exeter to retake the AP trophy.<ref name=":2"/> | Heading into the 2017/18 season McCall would note the knock-on effects of the ] - tiredness and, especially, lack of pre-season time.<ref> Telegraph. Mike Cleary. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref> This looked to become true as Saracens fell into a 7 game losing streak (the worst in over a decade) towards the end of 2017, with a bare mathematical scrape into the ECC Quarter-Finals.<ref name=":2"> Independent. Jack de Menezes. 26/05/18. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref> Saracens would then be knocked out against Leinster (the ultimate ECC champions), their earliest departure in half a decade.<ref name=":2"/> However additional rest time enabled a strong AP run-in, with a 27-10 defeat of Exeter to retake the AP trophy.<ref name=":2"/> | ||
| While Mark is frequently know as quiet and generally turns down interviews, his performances and widespread respect have also led to him being awarded the Aviva Premiership Director of Rugby in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2015/16.<ref> Daily Mail. Nick Purewal. 16/05/14. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/may/18/saracens-sweep-honours-premiership-awards-alex-goode-maro-itoje | |||
| While Mark is frequently know as the He has also won the Aviva Premiership Director of Rugby in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2015/16. | |||
| Saracens sweep honours at Premiership end-of-season awards night] Guardian. Robert Kitson. 18/05/16. Retrieved: 27/05/18</ref> | |||
| ==Personal== | ==Personal== | ||
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Mark McCall (born 29 November 1967 in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland) is an Irish former rugby union player and current Director of Rugby (DoR) of Saracens F.C. While DoR for Saracens the team has won the Aviva Premiership 4 times and the European Cup twice. He played 13 times for the Ireland national rugby union team, making his debut against New Zealand on 30 May 1992 as a substitute.
He played a Five Nations match against Wales in 1994, and came off the bench to play against England in 1996 as well as Australia later that year. He played four times in 1997; against New Zealand, Canada and twice against Italy. He also played against Scotland and England in the 1998 Five Nations, finishing his career later that year with two matches against South Africa. His entire thirteen match career went without him scoring a single point internationally. He scored more than 100 points for his club career. He was forced to retire as a player at the age of 31 due to prolapsed disc.
He then coached Ulster and won the Celtic League (now the Pro14) in 2006.
Coaching career
After his career as a player the former inside centre coached both Ireland U21s and Ireland A and was a deputy coach for Ulster and then made the head coach in 2004. He was the head coach of the province for three years, during which they won the Celtic League in 2006 and led nine Ulster players to play in the Irish team, the highest number since the game went professional.
Saracens
He signed with Guinness Premiership (now the Aviva premiership) side Saracens to join up with new coach Brendan Venter for the 09/10 season as first team coach; after Brendan Venter left midway through the 2010/2011 season he took charge as Director of Rugby, at the beginning of 2013 he renewed his contract until the end of 2015. In the 2010/2011 season his team was unbeaten and went on to win the Premiership. In the 2012 season he managed them to go on to be the only English team to qualify for the Heineken Cup. Since the beginning of the 2011/2012 season McCall's team have played 35 games in the Aviva Premiership and won 26 of them.
Mark McCall, though he has appeared far less in the news than his predecessor, who was penalised several times for speaking against rugby's organising bodies, was notable in attacking the difficulties being faced by English teams within the Heineken Cup. He has also appeared in the news for his radical increasing of the rotation system at Saracens, despite occasional controversy, either on account of lost chances by Saracens or accusations that rotational policy undermines the sport. Although this seems to be successful for McCall.
McCall defeated Harlequins to win Saracens' first European Semi-final to led Saracens to the Heineken Cup Final in 2014 where they lost to Toulon.
In 2015 Mark McCall's Saracens won the Aviva Premiership against Bath 28-16.
The 2015/16 season saw McCall take his team to even higher heights by successfully completing the double. Saracens successfully retaining the Aviva Premiership trophy by defeating Exeter 28-20 while defeating Racing 92 in the first final of the European Champions Cup. McCall's rotation strategy proved particularly successful, enabling Saracens to win all 9 games in the Cup - a first in European rugby.. While McCall has been significantly quieter in the media than his predecessor, he openly challenged the timing of an England training session shortly before the ECC began which led to multiple player injuries.
The 2016/17 season would allow a double at the ECC Cup, beating Clermont 28-17 before an early knock-out in the AP, losing in the Semi-Finals against Exeter.
Heading into the 2017/18 season McCall would note the knock-on effects of the Lions tour - tiredness and, especially, lack of pre-season time. This looked to become true as Saracens fell into a 7 game losing streak (the worst in over a decade) towards the end of 2017, with a bare mathematical scrape into the ECC Quarter-Finals. Saracens would then be knocked out against Leinster (the ultimate ECC champions), their earliest departure in half a decade. However additional rest time enabled a strong AP run-in, with a 27-10 defeat of Exeter to retake the AP trophy.
While Mark is frequently know as quiet and generally turns down interviews, his performances and widespread respect have also led to him being awarded the Aviva Premiership Director of Rugby in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2015/16.
Personal
McCall has a law degree (a qualification he shared with his father) and worked part time at a solicitor's office between retiring as player and taking up coaching.
He has two children: Bryn and Jemma. His father Conn played cricket for Ireland.
References
- Vunipola brothers power Saracens to Premiership title No 4 Telegraph. Gavin Mairs. 26/05/18. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- ^ Mark McCall statistics from scrum.com
- ^ Mark McCall: The quiet Irishman behind Saracens’ success Irish Times. Gerry Thornley. 22/04/16. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- ESPNscrum News Profile Summary
- BBC - Mark McCall signs new Contract
- BBC Sports 2011 rugby championship final
- [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9190690/Heineken-Cup-2012-Saracens-strive-to-reach-new-heights.html Heineken Cup 2012: Saracens strive to reach new heights ] Telegraph. Mike Cleary. 06/04/12. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Brendan Venter penalised
- ESPNscrum News McCall Speech on Wagecap
- Watford News Saracens Stick with Rotational Policy Archived 15 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- Heineken Cup final: Saracens 6-23 Toulon BBC. Chris Osbourne. 24/05/14.
- Saracens defeat Bath to win the 2014-2015 Aviva Premiership title RugbyDump. 01/06/15. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Saracens beat Racing 92 BBC. James Standley. 14/05/16. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Saracens’ Mark McCall hits out at RFU after England training camp injuries Guardian. Paul Rees. 06/10/16. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- European Champions Cup: Saracens beat Clermont 28-17 BBC. James Standley. 13/05/17. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Premiership semi-final: Exeter Chiefs 18-16 Saracens BBC. Brent Pilnick. 20/05/17. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Four leading directors of rugby on the game's big issues: Telegraph. Mike Cleary. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- ^ Saracens banish their 'ghosts' with Premiership final victory Independent. Jack de Menezes. 26/05/18. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Mike Brown and Mark McCall big winners at Aviva Premiership end of season awards Daily Mail. Nick Purewal. 16/05/14. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/may/18/saracens-sweep-honours-premiership-awards-alex-goode-maro-itoje Saracens sweep honours at Premiership end-of-season awards night] Guardian. Robert Kitson. 18/05/16. Retrieved: 27/05/18
- Profile of his father at Cricinfo
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