Preferring the subtle dig in the ribs to the usual handshake as his term of greeting, the 32-year-old All Black is not one for formalities as he meets the local press.

Fully strapped up with tape round his hands, he clenches a fist and tells a radio reporter: “Any dodgy questions today and you get one of these, mate!”

It is followed by a trademark grin and a laugh, but his point is made.

Before the official business of the press conference a question is fielded regarding his surname, which turns out to have been wrongly pronounced by TV commentators, radio hosts and Falcons press officers alike for years.

“When all the settlers came over from Scotland there were so many different ways of saying McDonald, MacDonald, McDonnell and MacDonnell that they all just pronounced them the same,” he reveals, before stating that the emphasis should be on the second rather than the last syllable.

Phonetics out of the way, it is on with the business of Sunday’s Guinness Premiership visit of Leicester Tigers, to a Falcons side going for its third consecutive home win.

But on the minds of many of the media is the more immediate matter of Monday’s second half collapse at Harlequins.

“We were right in it in the first half and actually led at half time, but errors in the second half really cost us,” is the short and sweet answer from a man not used to dwelling on the negatives.

Capped by the All Blacks and New Zealand Maori, McDonnell’s rugby footpath has seen successful stop-offs at both Otago and Wellington, with whom he appeared in this season’s Air New Zealand Cup.

But while his mates in the land of the long white cloud sun it up in the Kiwi summer, he has other plans.

“It’s been good to come over and get a few games under my belt, with the Geordie weather living up to its reputation,” says the man who has made an instant impact following his autumn switch north of the Equator.

It is quickly back on to team matters, and the impending visit of the mighty Tigers.

“Leicester are a good side in the top reaches of the league, so you have to respect them, but from our point of view all we are focusing on is going in to Sunday as prepared as we can be,” is the verdict.

“The team that takes the field is going out there to do the job, and week by week we’re working to improve.

“This inconsistency thing has been a bit of a trend this season, but we have to snap out of it and move forward. Everyone has seen how good we can be on our day, now we’re just working on getting that same high level every week.

“The forwards are going alright and there is good competition there. The line out has been good and the scrum is improving, so the signs are there.”

Not now on the snooker table surfaces of the Super 14, he says with a smirk: “The ground is a wee bit softer here, so I’m not my usual speedy self.

“I do like to carry the ball, but as a forward and especially a front rower the most important thing is to win and keep possession. Once that has been achieved then we can look to get out and run with it, but we have to get that platform first.”

As if being thrust in to the limelight as a senior player was not enough, McDonnell must also contend with having captaincy honours bestowed on him after injury and Aussieness ruled out regular skipper Matt Burke.

Burke’s injury-enforced departure saw South African Russell Winter assume the armband for the remainder of the New Year’s Day drama at Harlequins, but with extra forward sessions laid on this week neither envisages a repeat performance.

Not that Winter can make that point to the local TV network, however, as the mischievous McDonnell loiters with intent to disrupt the No.8’s interview by pulling faces behind the presenter’s back, making sure his team mate keels over in a fit of giggles mid-sentence.

“I’m gone, I’m outta here, don’t worry” is his parting shot to the interviewer as he leaves the room, having previously summed up the honour given to him as team captain this weekend.

“It was a surprise to get it pretty much straightaway, but it’s just one of those situations where you have to go in and give it your best shot,” he says.

“As a captain you have to try and lead by example, go in and give advice where you can. I’m not a big talker generally, the secret of good captaincy is just to lead from the front, do your job first and get the rest of the guys to follow. Playing at home against a big side like Leicester is all the motivation you need, so I don’t think I have a huge role from that point of view.”

Asked what his maiden call might be as skipper against Leicester, however, there was still time for the mischief to shine through again.

“I think I’m taking the goal kicks this week – I’ve always fancied it so that will be my first decision as captain!”