BRING on the big boys — that’s the rallying cry from Hoani MacDonald, Newport Gwent Dragons’ latest recruit from New Zealand.

He has spent the past few days integrating himself into the Dragons framework training and getting to know all the calls ready to go straight into the firing line in Sunday’s EDF Energy Cup tie against Wasps at Adams Park.

The tall lock or blindside flanker has been playing almost non-stop since January and confesses to a bit of jetlag and being eager for a three-week break after the Wasps game, but he’s waiting to test himself against some of the best in Europe.

On Sunday it’s the English Premiership champions and former Heineken Cup kings, at the end of November it’s top Irish province and Celtic champions Leinster, which is followed by back-to-back matches against European aristocrats Toulouse.

“That’s why I’m here, to challenge myself against the best in Europe, in France, Ireland and Scotland, to see different structures and have a look around,” said the 30-year-old.

“I want to play against the best and I can’t see us going over to Toulouse and getting tanned. I’ll be going over there to do well.”

It’s out of the frying pan into the fire for MacDonald because he has just come out of the Air New Zealand Cup where he was a regular for the Southland team who reached the semis before losing to Wellington.

“We were going quite well and we were having our best season. I was ready to go (to join the Dragons) but then we would win another game, but I’m here now and ready to go,” he said.

“I’d been watching the Dragons’ progress on the internet and know they had a shaky start, then came back well and had a good win in the Heineken Cup.

“It’s going to be a breath of fresh air coming over here and seeing how things operate. The Wasps game should be good, but I don’t really know much about them so it’s eyes wide open and see what happens.

“We’ve got nothing to lose so we’ll be having a go, we’re not going up there to lose and hopefully we’ll score some good tries with the other result going our way (Newcastle beating Gloucester).”

MacDonald has played alongside all three other New Zealanders with the Dragons – Tom Willis, James Arlidge and Grant Webb.

“They had told me the people here were good, that they all get on and the set-up is fine, so it’s all positive,” he said. “It’s going to be a different type of rugby from back home where it’s more back orientated whereas here it’s more the forwards until all other options have been exhausted.”

MacDonald has got loads of experience having played Super 14 rugby for the Highlanders for the past five years as well as being a Southland regular. And he has also played for the Junior All Blacks in 2006 and 2007 and for the Maoris in 2004 and this year.

So what does he hope to bring to the table for the Dragons? “I’m hoping for some good results for a start,” he said in much the same forthright manner as Willis. “I also hope to provide different line-out options and about the field and bring some different views.”

It promises to be quite a ride as another New Zealander joins forces with the Dragons to help with the improvement in their fortunes.