Former All Black and Leinster star Brad Thorn to retire next month

Former New Zealand lock Brad Thorn is retiring at the end of the season following a glittering 21-year career in which won the biggest prizes in rugby league and union.

The 40-year-old started out in league with the Brisbane Broncos, represented Queensland in the state of origin and won three caps for Australia.

Thorn moved back to New Zealand in 2001 and joined the Canterbury Crusaders, playing 12 tests for the All Blacks.

He went back to rugby league with the Broncos from 2005-07 but returned to union and the last of his 59 All Blacks appearances was in the 2011 World Cup final in which they defeated France 8-7.

Thorn helped Ireland’s Leinster lift the 2012 Heineken Cup, becoming the first man to play in victorious World Cup, Super Rugby and European Cup teams.

He joined English Premiership club Leicester last year and has helped the Tigers climb to fourth in the standings.

“My goal was to play top-level rugby at 40 and to play well, and I’ve done that,” Thorn told the BBC.

“I’ve been part of all these teams and it’s been awesome but I just think maybe I should do something else.”

Meanwhile Owen Farrell hopes to be in contention for Saracens’ European Champions Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne on April 18.

The Saracens and England international fly-half has been sidelined since suffering a knee ligament injury – during a Champions Cup pool stage defeat against Clermont – in January.

He missed the entire RBS 6 Nations campaign as a result, with Bath’s George Ford filling the number 10 shirt in accomplished fashion as England finished second behind title winners Ireland.

Asked if he hoped to be back for the semi-final, Farrell told BT Sport: “I’m hoping to be. The knee is feeling good.

“I did everything yesterday – ran, kicked, tackled, got stuck in. I was blowing a bit, but I was alright.

So we will see how I get on in training this week, and we’ll make a decision then.”

Saracens return to Aviva Premiership action this weekend against play-off rivals Leicester at Allianz Park, before tacking Clermont in Saint Etienne seven days later.

Sarries flanker Jacques Burger has been cited for alleged foul play during last Sunday’s European Champions Cup quarter-final game against Racing Metro in Paris.

European Professional Club Rugby said that Burger is alleged to have struck Racing scrum-half Maxime Machenaud midway through the match at Stade Yves-du-Manoir, which Saracens won 12-11.

The complaint was made by the match citing commissioner Eugene Ryan.

Namibia international Burger, 31, will face a disciplinary hearing on Thursday. Welshman Simon Thomas has been appointed as independent judicial officer.

World Rugby’s low end punishment for such an offence is a two-week ban, with anything from eight weeks to 52 weeks at the top end.