David Pocock played his final Japanese match last weekend and now the flanker's beginning his 2017 sabbatical in earnest.
Pocock will be travelling to Perth to have a plate removed from his hand after breaking the appendage against England in 2016, before heading over to South Africa for wildlife conservation work.
Really enjoyable couple of months in Japan with Panasonic Wild Knights. Thanks for having me. Excited about the next 6 months!
— David Pocock (@pocockdavid) January 30, 2017
A few days in Perth to get that plate removed from my hand then off to Southern Africa.
— David Pocock (@pocockdavid) January 30, 2017
The 28-year-old will be back in action for the start of the 2017-18 Top League season, returning to Panasonic, before rejoining the Brumbies in 2018, a season out from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.