‘His legacy lives on. They still call him The Terminator here’
The All Blacks will be inspired tomorrow by Jerry Collins, who died saving his daughter’s life, Ben Coles discovers
Rugby has known no shortage of grief in the last two years. Jonah Lomu and Joost van der Westhuizen have both departed before their time, and both were tragically preceded by Jerry Collins, who made his name charging around Wellington’s iconic Westpac Stadium, where the All Blacks face the British and Irish Lions tomorrow.
Details in the days that followed back in June 2015 revealed that Collins had died protecting his daughter, Ayla, by throwing himself across her car seat to protect her in the crash which killed Collins and his partner Alana Madill. Collins, who had just turned 34, saved his daughter’s life in the process.
The flow of tributes which came in the days and weeks afterwards made his final act of bravery entirely unsurprising, fitting in with the character of a back-row forward who, while undoubtedly feared on the field, was an affable giant off it.
“It is not only because of what he did on the field. It comes down to the person,” said Rodney So’oialo, who partnered Collins in the back row for the Hurricanes and All Blacks throughout the 2000s, putting him in a strong position to assess why Collins has left behind a legacy.
“He was approachable. He loved to have a beer. He would just pop into a local pub, which is unheard of nowadays. Most people head to bars, but [for a top rugby player] going to a pub, especially in New Zealand, is rare. He would pop in and loved talking to people, local people, no matter where he was. That side of him... people really saw that, which the media would not have done.”
That approachable personality juxtaposes with the intense way Collins went about his work as a hard-tackling and carrying flanker or No8, his famous dyed blond haircut blending in with the yellow seats of Westpac Stadium, better known as the ‘Cake Tin’.
“I know what it was like being on the other side of even attempting to tackle him. He was solid, and I would always think, ‘God, those guys must feel the brunt of those impacts.’ Running a ball into Jerry… it would hurt. I did wonder sometimes why people would run right at him when you would see the end result.
“Over here he is still the hitman. They still call him ‘The Terminator’ here. He had that run-straight, ‘something is going to happen to you’ attitude.
“He will always be renowned for being that, and it is going to be pretty hard for someone to take that away from him, or for someone else to adopt that name.”
In their partnership at the Hurricanes, Collins and So’oialo were joined in the back row by Chris Masoe, who is newly retired after finishing up his career with Racing 92.
In the days after the accident, Masoe and other former All Blacks based in France – Ali Williams, Carl Hayman, Byron Kelleher and Neemia Tialata – performed a moving haka in tribute to Collins at the site of where he passed away.
An outstanding combination, supported off the bench by Exeter Chiefs star Thomas Waldrom, the back row trio lined up alongside each other for the 2006 Super Rugby final against the Crusaders, best remembered for such thick fog in Wellington that the commentators were left guessing at the action on the field.
“We created an awesome unit,” remembers So’oialo. “Not too many people wanted to come down that side of the field. We were really proud of what we achieved, but being together for a long period of time made us even hungrier to improve, both individually and as a collective.
“There was a bit of depth [in 2006]. We had the team to do it. You can go so well the whole year, but when it comes down to the business end of the season, you have to make those tackles and do everything right to be able to hold that trophy. Unfortunately it was not our turn.”
Watching the Hurricanes go on to win last year’s Super Rugby title, a decade on from the pea souper, understandably left So’oialo remembering not only Collins but all those players like himself who missed out on Super Rugby glory.
“It was quite emotional, to be honest. We tried for so many years, you started to contemplate how to get over that line where you have stumbled so many times,” he said. “For the Hurricanes to do it last year was amazing, and quite emotional, especially for the fans. We were so stoked that the boys pulled it off, both for themselves and those who have passed on, like Jerry and Jonah.”
The All Blacks’ success over the British and Irish Lions in 2005, on the other hand, looks ready to be repeated.
Watching his four children grow up, and becoming a grandfather, has made So’oialo appreciate how much time has passed, even if it barely feels like 12 years since he, Collins and Richie Mccaw dominated the tourists. So’oialo is now forwards coach for Mitre 10 Cup side Wellington Lions.
And less than 20 minutes up the road from where the All Blacks will aim to go 2-0 up in the series, the ground in Porirua now goes by a new name: Jerry Collins Stadium.
I wondered sometimes why people would run right at him when you saw the end result