They called him "Sass", short for Sasquatch.
He was tall, muscular, a bit grumpy and occasionally intimidating — especially if you asked him a question he did not particularly like.
The Highlanders also called him a valued team-mate and one of the best locks in the world at his peak.
Donnelly was a lock with almost no flaws in his game.
He was physically robust, skilled, energetic and effective. And he was really a master of the lineout, an outstanding communicator and student of a set piece that only got more important as the years progressed.
When Simon Maling’s time in the second row finished, the Highlanders had a gap that was quickly filled by Donnelly.
Donnelly never sought the limelight, and never — at least not in public — beat his own chest about his abilities too much.
Even when he achieved the pinnacle, and was selected for the All Blacks for the first time, he joked he was the "15th string" lock.
Donnelly was a Rotorua kid, drawn south to study and play rugby at the University of Otago, where he won four club banners in the space of five seasons.
He later gained some attention when, as an All Black, he switched allegiances to Matakanui Combined, the rural Central Otago club where he had family links.
After shining for the Highlanders and Otago, he had a couple of seasons with the Crusaders and one with the Blues, before heading overseas to play in France for several years.
Donnelly has been forging a coaching reputation in recent times.
He started in an assistant role with Otago before spending five seasons as head coach, and had a stint as New Zealand under-20 coach and a specialist coach with the Highlanders before moving to the Western Force and being snapped up by the Wallabies.
