Joe McDonnell

Joe McDonnell was a stocky, relatively short loosehead prop who often showed surprising mobility with his darts in the open. This quality was perhaps a reflection of the fact that much of his early playing days were spent as a back.

McDonnell made his first appearance in first class rugby with Otago Country in 1994. But it was not until 1998, and a move to Dunedin and the Zingari-Richmond club, that he made the Otago representative side at the age of 25.

In his debut season Otago won the national championship first division title, but with All Blacks Carl Hoeft and Kees Meeuws available as props McDonnell was only a reserve for most of the matches and didn�t take the field in the final against Waikato.

Over the next seasons McDonnell managed 54 games for Otago and 31 Super 12 games for the Highlanders. But the presence of Hoeft, Meeuws and the young giant Carl Hayman limited his chances and many of his appearances were from the bench.

In 2000 so surplus was he to Otago�s requirements that he was lent to the union�s Highlanders partner, Southland, his one and only match being a Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato. He was then returned to Otago, a somewhat bizarre and controversial use of the much criticised loan system.

McDonnell was also injured for all the 2001 Super 12 competition, during which time he used his heavy traffic driving license, and his background working in the trucking industry, to take charge of the Highlanders. Though sharing propping duties with Hoeft and Hayman, McDonnell impressed then All Black coaches John Mitchell and Robbie Deans to be a surprise inclusion in the 2002 All Blacks squad.

He appeared in six of that season�s domestic tests, starting the matches against Italy and Fiji, coming from the bench for the two Ireland matches and then again as a substitute for two of the tri-nations tests against Australia and South Africa.

McDonnell was then included in the under-strength All Black side which made an end-of-season tour of Europe, playing for the entire 80 minutes in each of the internationals against England and France.

That was the end of McDonnell�s All Black career, though he continued to perform usefully over the next three seasons. However, to gain more playing time he moved to Wellington and the Hurricanes and in 2004-05 he managed 14 matches for the union and 19 for the franchise.

McDonnell played in the New Zealand Maori side which beat Scotland in 2000, then reappeared in 2003 on a three-match tour of Canada and in two Churchill Cup games in Canada in 2004, bringing his Maori appearances to six.

After 130 first class games, distinguished by his grit, determination and solidity as a scrummager, McDonnell left New Zealand in 2005 for British club rugby and he spent many seasons with Newcastle.