Ciaran Scally, the 21-year-old Irish international scrum-half, has been forced to retire from the game. In what is an extraordinary blow to both Blackrock and Leinster, barely a month after 24-year-old centre and team-mate Brian Carey retired, Scally was advised to quit playing on medical grounds because of bone damage in his right knee.

It scarcely seems necessary to describe Scally's retirement as premature, or that it underlines the fickleness of sport. A member of the IRFU Academy, Scally seemed set for a distinguished career after scoring a try on his debut as a replacement for Ireland in the World Cup qualifier against Georgia, followed by another try in his first full appearance a week later against Romania.

A two-time Leinster Schools Senior Cup winner with Blackrock, Scally was part of an Irish schools' side which won the Triple Crown and also in Australia. He went on to win four senior caps in all, playing against both Scotland and Italy earlier this year, and toured Australia last summer, but had modestly attributed his meteoric rise to "luck" and "the good teams" he had played with.

Cruciate damage to his knee had sidelined him for six months two seasons ago and ultimately he played his last game on August 13th this year, in Leinster's Interprovincial Championship defeat to Ulster.

"I am absolutely devastated by the news," said the third-year commerce student yesterday. "I sustained cruciate damage in my right knee in April 1997 and was out of the game for six months. I have been troubled again by the knee and following an exploratory operation I have been informed that there is bone damage. Medical opinion is that I should not play again."

Irish manager Donal Lenihan commented: "On behalf of the Irish team management and squad I would like to say how sad I am to learn of Ciaran's enforced retirement. In every respect he was a fine young athlete with a bright future ahead of him in rugby. All of Irish rugby wishes him well."