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Turner in Force frame

Turner in Force frame

Western Force scrum-half Ryan Louwrens will miss the rest of the season after a serious knee injury at training.

Louwrens ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament in a simple training drill last week.

He is the third Force player hit by a long-term injury in the past fortnight, with flanker Chris Alcock sidelined for four months after shoulder surgery and Wallabies forward Hugh McMeniman expected to miss at least 10 weeks with a broken collarbone.

Louwrens was pushing Ian Prior for the reserves bench spot behind first-choice scrum-half Alby Mathewson, who has been in excellent form, but his bad luck could give gutsy Justin Turner another chance to launch his injury-ravaged career.

Turner has battled through four injury-hit seasons, but even after three major operations and a fourth serious injury to his right knee, all before his 23rd birthday, he has never given up hope of returning to professional rugby.

He has made 10 appearances for the Force since his 2010 debut and was one of Australia's brightest young talents before injury woes struck.

He tore an anterior cruciate ligament playing for Australia in the 2010 world junior championships and re-injured it seven months later during the pre- season.

In March 2012, he damaged a medial ligament.