McDonnell was part of the All Blacks tour in 2002

New Zealand prop Joe McDonnell has been cleared of any doping offence, after being found to have used the banned substance salbutamol for his asthma.

The International Rugby Board's anti-doping tribunal also criticised the team management and medical staff of last November's All Blacks touring party.

According to the tribunal, McDonnell's use of the drug would not have been a problem if a consent form had been adequately filled out.

We have great concern that the NZRFU touring party did not place sufficient importance on the requirements underpinning the anti-doping programme IRB statement

"We accept that Joe McDonnell has a long-standing history of asthma with intermittent symptoms justifying the intermittent therapeutic need for inhaled Salbutamol (Ventolin)," the tribunal said.

"We have great concern that the management and medical staff of the NZRFU touring party did not place sufficient importance on the administrative requirements."

The panel added that the consent forms were not worded clearly enough.

McDonnell was a member of the All Blacks squad that played Test matches against England, France and Wales.