By Jason Harris (filed: 3/3/04)
March 3 2004

Saracens scrum half Kyran Bracken has decided to quit Test rugby after 51 England caps. The 32-year-old who joined the Men in Black from Bristol in 1996 made his final apperance wearing the red rose as a replacement in the 2003 World Cup semi-final defeat of France. Bracken said of his decision "I have done everything I wanted to do but the ambition to play for England is no longer there. Like Martin [Johnson], I've become battle weary and the time is right to walk away"

England coach Sir Clive Woodward initially persuaded Bracken to consider playing on after he said that he wanted to retire straight after England's historic World Cup win in Australia, but the half back who has made 168 appearances for the Men in Black went through with his plan after further consideration.

Bracken's England debut came against the All Blacks in 1993 and will be long remembered after the then 20-year-old Bristol player played on after having his ankle stamped upon by New Zealand flanker Jamie Joseph. The following fortnight on crutches was to become an all-too-familiar experience during the career of a player nicknamed "Broken" due to his rotten luck with injuries.

Arguably his finest hour came in the 2003 World Cup pool game against South Africa where he put in a match-winning performance while his England team mates struggled to overcome the resilient Springboks, even though he had to play through the pain of a back injury. "I'm still amazed and very relieved that I got through that match," Bracken said of that match.

At the end of the season Bracken will decide whether his club rugby career will also come to an end. His contract with Saracens has two years to run and Bracken said that he would retire from rugby a Saracens player. Many Sarries followers will hope that one of the club's longest-serving players will be able to honour the remaining 24 months of his deal.