Leave it to Beaver
It’s funny how the whitebait season and the Rugby World Cup seem linked in people’s minds. It’s because of Stephen Donald, and at present he’s getting a goodly helping of both. Donald, 31, is the Waikato stalwart rugby player and former All Black, the first-five who famously got a late call-up to join the 2011 RWC All Blacks squad while he was whitebaiting on the Waikato River.
The well-canvassed story goes that Donald – not selected for the squad – was netting whitebait near his hometown of Waiuku when he missed calls from All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who wanted him to get to Auckland before the semifinal, because the team’s first-fives were dropping like flies.
Donald ditched his net and he hunkered down at training camp. He sat out the All Blacks’ semifinal against Australia on the bench, then he was thrust into action in the 34th minute of the final against France after Aaron Cruden went down with a knee injury.
Donald kicked a penalty four minutes into the second half, and these points were to prove crucial to the outcome, clinching a heart-stopping one-point win for the All Blacks.
Donald, widely known by his nickname Beaver, was feted as a hero – the underdog, the fourth-choice first-five who nailed a high-pressure matchwinner. And his penchant for whitebaiting became part of the legend.
‘‘Leave it to Beaver’’ headlines led jubilant rugby stories nationwide after the victory and the man himself quickly took off to Bath, England, to take up a rugby contract. Without even watching a replay.
Four years on, with another world cup humming along in the UK, Donald recaps the crazy aftermath of the 2011 final.
He says he’s never taken himself too seriously, it was a game of footy, the win was a team effort. ‘‘It [the kick] did have significance, but to put it in context, it’s just sport. But New Zealand was a bit happier place, and if we helped contribute to that, it’s a nice thing.’’
The Beaver story was made into an engaging tele-movie, The Kick, which screened last year. It covered the highs and lows of Donald’s rugby career, including his being widely blamed, and vilified, for the All Blacks’ loss in a Bledisloe Cup match against Australia in Hong Kong in 2010.
‘‘Watching it was a weird situation, seeing your life portrayed,’’ Donald says. ‘‘Everyone who knows me said David De Lautour, who played me, had an uncanny ability to be me. There was a fair bit of spice thrown on top of it.’’
Nowadays, Donald’s still playing rugby, and he’s still whitebaiting. And he’s happy to make some RWC predictions, say where he’ll be for the final, and even give out a recipe for his whitebait fritters. The only thing he won’t divulge is the exact spot he catches them from.
Recently, he got 10kg of whitebait fishing from a mate’s stand on the Waikato River near Waiuku. That sounds like quite a lot of whitebait, but Donald is a bit bummed because the day before, some mates did much better. He gives away most of what he gets.
He’s also watching a fair amount of the current Rugby World Cup. That’s mainly because his rugby mate Richard Kahui keeps texting and phoning him at ungodly hours from Japan (where Kahui is based) to check if Donald’s up with the play on the telly. Donald says Kahui doesn’t seem to care that he’s interrupting his sleep. ‘‘If I don’t answer his texts, he phones.’’
Donald is currently playing on a short-term contract for Waikato, in the national provincial championship’s premiership division. He’s only had two runs off the bench, having been plagued by a hamstring injury since his return from two seasons in Japan. A scan on Monday showed a small tear that will see him out of action for two to three weeks. He’s very disappointed about the injury.
‘‘It’s highly frustrating and a touch embarrassing not being able to fully contribute. You can’t put a price on playing for a team like Waikato.’’
He’ll be in Hamilton till later next month, then he takes off to London for the RWC. He’ll be leading a group for All Blacks Tours, the official travel agent in New Zealand for RWC 2015; Donald’s tour goes under the banner of Beaver’s Special Fan Flight, and former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry (aka Ted) will host another entitled Ted’s Special Fan Flight. Nicknames are to the fore here.
The Beaver tour will take in the semifinals and the final (October 31) at Twickenham Stadium, and Donald will be joined on his Fan Flight by other characters, including Kiwi band Herbs and members of the Alternative Commentary Collective.
Donald seems remarkably laid back about looking after a plane load of people for 12 days in the UK. It will certainly be a bit different to sitting in the stand for the London final from being on the All Blacks bench in Auckland at the last one. Not so nervous? ‘‘Sitting on the bench, you use a lot of energy. I was sitting beside Andrew Hore; even in the most pressures situation, Horey can find a bit to laugh about.’’
When Donald gets back, he reckons he’ll have a holiday, enjoy a New Zealand summer for the first time in a while. He’s got a place at Matarangi, he loves it there, he’ll do some fishing and play golf, adding that he plays golf poorly. He’ll spend time with family and friends. He’s the proud uncle of two little kids.
There’s also the pressing matter of a degree to finish at Waikato University. He’s got three papers to go for a bachelor of management studies. He’s studying at present and when it’s completed, it will be a 13-year effort. He jokes that he wants to finish it while his dad’s still alive.
‘‘They’re great people at Waikato [University], very long-suffering. I’m a name and a student ID that they’ll want to wipe from their system. I want to walk down Victoria S in my cape.’’
Lastly, but very importantly, his predictions for the Rugby World Cup? The All Blacks will win, of course, Donald says. ‘‘They’re a great team.’’
‘‘It’s the most open World Cup. Apart from the All Blacks.’’