Is McCall not tempted to stay on and see if more silverware and a second golden era is in the pipeline?
“No, there is a certain energy you need to do this job and, at times, I have realised that although it is OK, [mine] is not what the team need,” he said.
“I think the team need the new energy they are going to get from [incoming director of rugby] Brendan [Venter].”
McCall said his goodbyes to the StoneX Stadium after last Saturday’s win over Harlequins. “A lot of fuss” is how he characteristically, but fondly, describes the guard of honour and dressing room send-off., external
McCall’s legacy is more than trophies though. A clutch of young coaches have emerged from under his wing to take on jobs elsewhere.
Paul Gustard, currently flying high in the Top 14 with Stade Francais, Sale boss Alex Sanderson and England head coach Steve Borthwick were all proteges.
As he heads out of the hot seat, he would like to see more support for those who follow in his, and their, wake.
“It is a great job, but it is a job like no other, in that it can make you feel self-doubt, make you uncertain. The losses can be hard to bear sometimes,” he said.
“I have learned how to deal with that, but younger coaches need more support.
“There is a toll to the job, and I can see that toll on a younger coach sometimes.”
McCall is carrying that pressure, purpose and privilege for the final time. If he can carry it all the way to a seventh Premiership title it may be the sweetest victory of the lot.
