Former All Black Jerry Collins killed in car accident in France
Saturday 6 June 2015 13:53, UK
Jerry Collins was the epitome of an All Black back row forward.
His peroxide blonde hair and broad smile masked a typically uncompromising New Zealand loose forward; ferocious in the tackle, fearless in rucks and a force to be reckoned with as a ball carrier.
Born in Apia, Samoa in November 1980, Collins moved to Wellington, New Zealand where his rugby talent developed at the St Patrick’s College and Northern United (Norths). He went on to captain the senior team at Norths at jus18 years old – a New Zealand first – and it wasn’t long before he went on to represent the NZ Secondary Schools.
In 1999 he was named player of the tournament at the Under-19 Junior World Championships, and in the same year made his provincial debut for Wellington.
His Super Rugby debut with the Hurricanes followed in 2001 and at the age of 20 the first of 50 All Blacks appearances was made in a 67-19 win over Argentina in Christchurch later that year. Playing at openside flanker and in the same side as his cousin Tana Umaga, it was the first of 42 Test victories he would experience as an All Black.
In a lengthy professional career, he played 74 games for the Hurricanes and 50 matches for the All Blacks, including 48 Tests, in which he scored five tries. Perhaps the highlight of his New Zealand career was when he was given the captaincy for a Test against Argentina in 2006. He captained them twice more, against Portugal and Romania in 2007.
With the All Blacks he played in a tremendous loose forward combination alongside Rodney So'oialo (another Hurricane), and Richie McCaw. From 2004 to 2007 they were almost unchallenged as the best loose trio in world rugby, and won Bledisloe Cups, Tri-Nations titles, and of course the Lions series victory in 2005.
After leaving New Zealand in 2008, his rugby career took him to Toulon in France for a season before he joined Welsh team Ospreys on a two-year deal in 2009. He made 56 appearances for the Welsh provincial side in the Pro 12 and Heineken Cup over two seasons and was voted Ospreys' Players' Player of the Year in the 09/10 season.
A popular player with the fans, Collins helped the region to a third league title in his first season in Wales.
He left Wales for Japan and spent two seasons with Yamaha Jubilo in the Top League before returning for a second stint in France in January 2015 when he signed for ProD2 side Narbonne as a medical joker for injured Australian forward Rocky Elsom. His last professional match was against Dax which Narbonne won 47-20 to keep them safe in the ProD2 league.
He also famously turned out for Barnstaple Second XV against Newton Abbot while on holiday in rural Devon in 2007.
At the age of 34 Collins and his wife Alana Madill died instantly when their car was hit by a bus near Beziers in southern France.
When he quit New Zealand rugby to pursue a career overseas Collins summed up his approach to life and approach to rugby. He said, "With me, I'd like to think that what you saw is what you got. I always tried to put as much as I could into every match.”
