International Career
Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, he played for the All Blacks from 2008 till 2011. Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 for New Zealand.
Donald had been criticized throughout his All Blacks' career, in particular for their last minute loss to Australia in the 4th game of the 2010 Bledisloe Cup in Hong Kong. He missed a penalty that would have put the game out of reach. Then in the last minute of the game he failed to find touch with a clearing kick. The Australians gathered the ball and launched a counter attack from which James O’Connor scored a try. O’Connor kicked the winning conversion, and the blame for the loss fell on Donald. A cartoon by Tom Scott in the lead-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final described it as a "nightmare" if New Zealand's fate was left in his hands.
However, he came on for the injured Aaron Cruden in the first half of the World Cup Final (making his World Cup debut) and kicked what turned out to be the winning penalty goal.
In honour of his contribution to winning the World Cup, his local rugby club in Waiuku has renamed their home ground to Beaver Park.
Read more about this topic: Stephen Donald
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