Jerry Collins Talks

Sometimes Mister Growden can put a decent article together, especial if it doesn't involve analysis!
Great to see Rugby still has room for characters too!

The soft side of Jerry Collins

Greg Growden in Christchurch
Friday, July 7, 2006

AS expected from someone who comes from the rough end of town and works on the rubbish trucks as part of his training, All Black back-rower Jerry Collins is a straight shooter.

Sometimes too straight.

His first Test as New Zealand captain will always be remembered not for what he did on the field against Argentina in Buenos Aires late last month but what he said directly afterwards.

Following the All Blacks' grim victory, New Zealand television commentator Tony Johnson approached Collins on the sideline for some off-the-cuff remarks about the Test. As all of New Zealand watched, Collins scratched his head and admitted it had not been an entirely satisfactory performance.

"We got through it. And the people at home won't be happy that there were mistakes. But who gives a f- - k?"

Collins then looked down the camera in amazement and, like a teenage boy caught by his parents in a chemist shop asking for certain protection, put his hands over his mouth and said ever so innocently: "Oops".

On the field, there are not exactly too many "oops" about Collins's pattern of play. He is without doubt the most threatening blindside breakaway in world rugby, wanting to bash anything in his way. In tomorrow night's Test, he will be relentlessly chasing certain Wallabies around the park, in particular centre Mat Rogers, in a bid to see whether his opponent's defence is up to it and whether he can expose an Australian weakness that will ensure the Bledisloe Cup stays exactly where it is.

He will aggravate and try to dominate, and then at the end of the game wipe away the blood and embrace his opponent, demanding that he has a drink with him. There's no frills but behind the rough exterior plenty of niceties about Jerry.

One Wallaby he will especially seek out is his long-time back-row rival George Smith. Collins is a big Smith fan, and vice versa.

"I seem to be getting older and older, but George just seems to be getting better and better," Collins said yesterday.

"Over the last couple of years, he has been working on his distribution skills, and with the Brumbies is often seen in the first-pivot role. He puts the odd grubber kick through, and everything. I'd say over the last few years, I have been watching him very closely and try to replicate what he does."

So is he your role model?

Collins seemed staggered by the question.

"Role model? Don't know about that. He's shorter than me, and has a bigger bum, too. And you can tell him I said that, too."

With it, a big, big laugh.

Collins's strong affinity with the Australians was obvious. A schoolboy league player, Collins is a passionate follower of the game, barracking for Queensland since the Dale Shearer days, and was overwhelmed by the Origin series win. He wasn't so impressed when asked whether at the end of his union days he might like to finish off his football career with the Rabbitohs.

"Rabbitohs? Mate, I'd better off bloody playing for Poverty Bay."

Even so, he will be seeking out the NSW players in the Wallabies team after the Test to remind them of that Queensland domination.

"Look, I'm one of those blokes who loves going at each other on the field, and then have a few beers afterwards with them," he said. "Strange thing is that you can't really hate the Australians, because they're such good blokes off the field. And I'm one of those blokes who wants to get to know the other guys because you never know when you're going to bump into them. You might be in Brisbane, at the airport, and you may see a Wallaby - and it's great if you know them."

So sometimes Jerry does give a …