David Pocock will play his first game in ten months when he captains the Brumbies in their first trial game for 2014 against the Highlanders.

The openside flanker will skipper a 27 player Brumbies squad for the first 40 minutes in Friday’s match in Queenstown, with incumbent Brumbies captain Ben Mowen being rested.

Pocock, who served as Wallabies skipper in 2012, has been sidelined since a season-ending knee injury against the Waratahs last March.

Centre Pat McCabe, prop Scott Sio and veteran winger Clyde Rathbone are the only other members of the squad with Test experience, with coach Stephen Larkham opting to rest those who played in the Wallabies’ Spring Tour of Europe in November.