"I think that this year's Six Nations tournament is going to be as competitive as it's ever been," Donnie told today's Mail on Sunday, "The Celtic nations are the strongest they have been in recent years - Ireland and Wales both had a fantastic autumn."
"There's a lot of negative press going around and I think the players want to create something positive for Scottish Rugby", he explained. "We saw a bit of that last week when Glasgow were unlucky against Northampton and Edinburgh had a fantastic win over Perpignan."
Sadly Donnie will not be able to demonstrate the courage of his convictions. After a blisterng nine months which saw the open-side emerge as a focal point in the Scotland team and a genuine contender for a place in the Lions squad which will tour New Zealand next summer, disaster struck when the 25-year-old felt his knee collapse during a contact drill with Glasgow.
"It was quite alarming because I heard a pop and, when your leg is in a funny position, you can tell something is wrong. Bob Stewart, our physio at Glasgow, was fantastic. When it got worse the next day, he got me straight in to see a surgeon. There was no time for a scan, so we just had to operate. We thought it was going to be a little tear on the cartilage, but when I woke up I was told that the inside of my knee had a little nick just as expected, but on the outside the cartilage had been ripped completely off the bone."
Unfortunately, in Scotland, it very rarely rains without pouring. And Donnie is currently sharing the treatment table with Simon Taylor, Ally Hogg, Jon Petrie and Andy Wilson. "Jonny Petrie should be fit by the Italy game and he can play at both No 8 and open-side. Andy Wilson will be back too, and he has been on form for Glagsow recently."
And Donnie himself? He is taking it one day at a time - even if he hasn't quite given up on the Lions dream yet. "If I get back playing by the end of the season, then you never know" he said, "I've not completely given up on it. The focus has always been the Six Nations, but I knew that if I played well in those games, then I would throw my name into the mixer for the Lions. But all I can do is concentrate on getting back to playing and look forward from there."
"Obviously it is going to be tough watching Scotland play during the Six Nations, but the Lions was never the focus for me. It was always Scotland and Glasgow."