 Forrester scored for an England XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham |
Gloucester number eight James Forrester has been forced to retire after failing to fully recover from a knee injury. The 27-year-old scored 51 tries in 134 appearances for Gloucester between 2001 and 2007 and also won two England caps. Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "The game's lost an enormous talent, I don't think we really saw how good he could be. "We saw potential and progress but it was just moving on. I really wish him well because he'll be sadly missed." Give your reaction to this news on 606 Ryan added: "The lad's worked tremendously hard to try and get back and for any player to call an end to a career at such a premature stage is an incredible thing to deal with." One of the fastest forwards in English rugby, Forrester scored three hat-tricks of tries for Gloucester, two of them against Bristol, and also showed a liking for the big occasion.  | JAMES FORRESTER CAREER HISTORY Born on February 9, 1981 Scores a try on senior debut versus London Irish, April 2001 Scores for an England XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham, May 2002 Scores try in Gloucester's Powergen Cup final victory over Northampton, April 2003 Wins first England cap as a replacement in Six Nations defeat by Wales, February 2005 Scores winning try as Gloucester beat London Irish in extra time to win the European Challenge Cup, May 2006 Ruptures anterior cruciate ligament joint in his knee playing against Bristol, April 2007 Forced to retire after failing to fully recover from injury, October 2008 |
He scored one of Gloucester's four tries in their 2003 Powergen Cup final win over Northampton, touched down for the extra-time winner in the 2006 European Challenge Cup final against London Irish and was pushing for a place in England's 2007 World Cup squad before his final injury. Forrester ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee playing for Gloucester against Bristol in April 2007, his second knee injury of that season having torn cartilage in his left knee in October 2006. After nearly 18 months out he returned for Gloucester's A League side who won at Sale in early September, but problems after that game proved his knee could not cope with competitive rugby. With fellow back-rowers Akapusi Qera and Gareth Delve also out with knee injuries, Gloucester signed Apo Satala in September as cover for the season.
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