IRISH PROP CONÁN O’Donnell has been named in the Counties Manukau squad for the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup in New Zealand.
O’Donnell played for the Steelers in last year’s competition and has returned to their set-up as part of a 2020 squad that also includes former All Blacks captain Kieran Read.
Sligo man O’Donnell, who can play at loosehead and tighthead, left Connacht last year and played Super Rugby with the Sunwolves in Japan before moving to New Zealand to link up with Counties Manukau for the 2019 Mitre 10 Cup.
His excellent performances earned him an opportunity in Super Rugby earlier this year with the Highlanders, for whom he made two replacement appearances before the Covid-19 crisis struck.
O’Donnell subsequently trained with the Crusaders and was then back with the Highlanders during the recent Super Rugby Aotearoa competition in New Zealand but didn’t feature on the pitch.
The 24-year-old’s career will now continue with Counties Manukau, with the Mitre 10 Cup season kicking off in two weekends’ time.
The Steelers’ squad includes 34-year-old Read, who moved to Japan after last year’s World Cup to join Toyota Verblitz but is available for the Mitre 10 Cup having returned home to New Zealand when the Japanese club rugby season was shut down.
Counties Manukau have also included All Blacks tighthead prop Nepo Laulala and back row Dalton Papali’i in their squad.
Last week, Otago confirmed that Irish lock Jack Regan is part of their squad.
Great to get through but it’s not the one we wanted, Roll on the Huns on Sunday
@Alan Brazil: Jesus Alan. We have something in common. Big game for the hoops
@Alan Brazil: same craic every year , start to improve after getting knocked out of champions league..still though would have got some spanking in the group they would been in , Barca ,Dortmund, inter . Gone are the glory days when they could get a champions league result . .
I don’t know what has gone on with Lennon and Sinclair. Sinclair good for 20 goals a season and he’s been frozen out in favour of Lewis Morgan.. Lennon seems to make stupid decisions, Celtic clearly through with 20 mins to go and he leaves all his star players on with an important game on Sunday. Edwaurd then goes off injured..
@David Garland: Stop your whinging, they won 4-1 what more do you want? Get behind Lennon and the team rather than complain
An away win in Europe is rare. A score line of 4-1 is unheard of. Good to see the holy goalie back in Glasgow.
A nice double on Sunday would be nice. Starting with the Celts and finishing with 5 in a row.
Hail Hail.
Up the Dubs.
It’s not whining wanting to know why one of our better players is not even making the bench. As I said Sinclair contributes around 20 goals a season and by the looks of Rangers this season Celtic could do with his goals, he’s a far better option that Morgan who shouldn’t be near a Celtic jersey..
Very poor performance but still put 4 goals on the board. Great going forward but my good God the backline is woeful. Whoever scouted Boli needs sacking, that lad is a bomb scare. Hopefully Lennon can get it right before the transfer window closes and get in a few decent signings for a change.
Played well, can they meet rangers in group?
@Dougal67: not until the knock out stages, teams from the same country are kept apart