| The All Black starts on the loose head side with Newcastle aiming to extend their five-month unbeaten run, stating: “The mood in the squad this week has been the same as any other really, just very positive and looking forward to the game.
“Despite defeats in our last three away matches we have been close in all of them, and everyone is focused on finishing the job off at home which we have done well in our unbeaten run.”
Having lost 24-19 to tournament favourites Clermont Auvergne in last weekend’s European quarter-final, McDonnell said: “With playing on Friday last week it means we’ve had a good time to prepare properly for the match, and all the boys are really pumped up for what is a big home game in front of what looks like being a full house.”
Saints, too, were in European action as they defeated much-fancied Biarritz in Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final.
“I heard it was quite a messy game, but it’s a great result for them, it just shows that we have to focus 100 per cent against them because like us they are capable of beating anyone,” he said.
“We’ve watched a fair bit of video on them and talked about some tactical things, but we have an excellent record at home which we can use to our advantage.
“Playing on our own field with such fantastic support really seems to get the best out of us, so if it can make a difference then all the better.”
The only two changes to the Newcastle pack see lock Andy Perry and flanker Geoff Parling return to the starting XV, with McDonnell saying: “Andy has been injured for a couple of months but has made an impact from the bench and is raring to go.
“He is a fresh body having not played for a while, and then Geoff coming back in to the team will also contribute a lot, especially in the line out.”
McDonnell forms part of an improving Newcastle pack, revealing: “The last four or five weeks have seen us do a lot of hard work on our scrum, and it has improved every week without doubt.
“All we ask of each other is that we keep learning and improving. If you look at tapes from earlier in the season to now there’s a fair bit of difference, but Sunday will be a big test against a good Saints side.”
With the stakes so high, the Kiwi insisted: “It’s vital for the club to retain Premiership rugby, because who wants to go down a level?
“There is such a huge amount of talent at this club, it’s just a matter of putting it together on the day and giving ourselves a performance to be proud of. Consistency is the key for us, but in the short term a win on Sunday is where the focus is.”
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