Wycliff Palu contemplating Japan rugby sabbatical Lions head coach Warren Gatland talks to Australian legend George Gregan about selecting the team ahead of the lions tour. Wycliff Palu runs the ball for the Waratahs. EYEING a third Rugby World Cup, battered Wallabies star Wycliff Palu is contemplating a George Smith-like sabbatical in Japan in the hope of prolonging his stop-start international career. Dogged by injuries in recent seasons, Palu will make his latest comeback for the NSW Waratahs in Saturday's Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes in Wellington. The 30-year-old back-rower is returning from ankle syndesmosis and admits the frustration of being sidelined so much has had him thinking about having a season or two in Japan to reinvigorate. Watching the way 110-Test flanker Smith and the likes of fellow former Wallabies forwards Hugh McMeniman and Mitchell Chapman have excelled since returning to Super Rugby this year after stints in the Japanese Top League has also encouraged Palu. "They've looked like they've come back really refreshed," Palu said on Wednesday. I had a chat with George a while back and he said he's feeling in really good nick. They do a lot of training over there and play less games. Your body has the time to recover so you're going to come back fresher and the rugby's also not as physical over there. Chappo (Chapman) as well, he's slotted straight back in and been one of our most consistent performers week in week out at the Tahs. Chronicling his wretched run with injuries, Palu said "I'll go from my head to my toes." "I had knee reco in 2010, broke my scapula - my shoulder blade - in 2011 before the World Cup," he said. I had nerve injuries in my shoulders and syndesmosis in my ankle, and all those hammy injuries. It was a hamstring tear that forced Palu home prematurely from the last World Cup in New Zealand and the destructive No.8 admits pulling on the gold jumper again is a powerful lure to getting his body right. Tackling the British and Irish Lions this year and being in the reckoning for the 2015 World Cup in England remain big goals. "I definitely want to play in those big tournaments," Palu said. It's always a goal to play at the highest level. Depending on how I'm going physically and also how I'm going playing-wise, if I feel I could still play rugby at that level, I'd definitely put my hand up. First things first, though. I've got to play well for the Tahs and, if I do that, I think everything turns out the way you want it to. The Waratahs head to New Zealand this week in eighth position and chasing their third successive win. "If we go down there and have a good win, we can go into the bye next week sitting in a pretty good position," Palu said. It's going to be tough down there but we've done pretty well down there in the past so hopefully that continues.