All Blacks, Wales or England: Highlanders star Michael Collins opens up on where his international allegiance lies
When the Highlanders run out to face the Blues at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday, it will almost be as if things will have come full circle for utility back Michael Collins.
Named to start in the home side’s No. 13 jersey, the position he first made a name for himself in as a schoolboy at local rugby nursery Otago Boys’ High School, the 27-year-old will square off against his former teammates for the first time since departing the Auckland franchise.
It was at Eden Park where Collins was handed his first season of Super Rugby experience in 2017, playing a starring role in Tana Umaga’s side from fullback.
Lauded by coaches across the country for his communication and organisational skills from the back, the 27-year-old went on to make 29 appearances for the Blues over the course of three seasons.
During that time, he rode the on-field rollercoaster that players have often experienced during their time with the Blues over the past decade.
For example, in Collins’ debut campaign, he started in his former side’s famous 22-16 win over the British and Irish Lions in a match he describes as one of the most significant of his career.
“I’d probably argue that was one of the bigger games I’ll end up being able to play,” Collins told RugbyPass.
“I guess you just add that whole element of UK crowds and all the touring squad that had come over, and they got a fair few people at Eden Park – Blues supporters too – so for us, the result was just a cap on it.
“The whole build-up and everything, it was awesome actually. It was definitely one of the highlights, up there by a long shot.”
By contrast, Collins scored a consolation try in a 48-21 shellacking to the lowly Sunwolves in sweltering conditions in Tokyo in the very next fixture a month later.
The match was the last for club stalwarts Charlie Faumuina and Steven Luatua, and Collins looks back on that clash with particular disappointment.
“Getting pumped by the Sunwolves wasn’t great,” he said through a wry laugh.
“The worst thing about that was that I think it was Jerome [Kaino’s] last game, Charlie’s and maybe Steve Luatua’s too, and we just put a pile of dog s*** out there.
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“For us to send players like that off, who have done so much work and hard time for the Blues, I think that’s why everyone was so disappointed.”
That doesn’t stop the Otago skipper speaking highly of his spell in Auckland, although one imagines he would relish the chance to put a dent in his old team’s Super Rugby Aotearoa title chances.
The Blues stand as genuine threats to the Kiwi domestic crown this season after enjoying a rich vein of form that sees them sit in second place on the standings, just two points behind the competition-leading Crusaders.
A win for the fourth-placed Highlanders, however, would keep their faint title hopes alive, as they trail the Blues by seven points.
Sunday afternoon’s clash will be the first opportunity for Collins to face off against his mates from up north after he answered a call from the Highlanders last year to help fill the imminent void left by the likes of Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo and Tevita Li in the outside backs.
Ironically, it will be at centre where he will play after impressing in the role as part of a re-jigged backline in his side’s dramatic 33-31 comeback win over the Chiefs a fortnight ago.
It’s a position Collins has only started once in at Super Rugby level despite establishing himself there while at Otago Boys’.
The Queenstown product was then thrust into the Otago set-up in his first year out of school after becoming the only player from the South Island to be picked in the 2011 New Zealand Schools side that featured Ardie Savea, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Ngani Laumape and Patrick Tuipulotu.
While that seems like the natural progression for any young rugby player coming through the ranks in New Zealand, Collins’ career could have taken a vastly different turn in his teenage years.
A week-long visit to the Melbourne Storm, one of the NRL’s most successful clubs, during his final year at school opened the youngster’s eyes to the world of professional sport.
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Despite having never played league, Collins said he believed it was a common career path for young players at the time to join NRL clubs and ply their trade for the now-defunct U20 sides before crossing back over into union.
That made joining the Storm, where he might have played alongside future Blues teammate Matt Duffie, a viable option, but it took a chat with former Otago and Queensland Reds coach Phil Mooney to keep him in the XV-man code.
“That was when it first got serious with what I was trying to do,” Collins said of the invitation extended to him by the Storm.
“I went over to the Storm for a weekend and sort of just saw the facilities and had a run around and stuff.
“Coming from Queenstown and down here, you don’t get access to league much, and I definitely wouldn’t say I grew up wanting to be a league player by any stretch of the imagination.
“I feel like it was quite common, quite a lot of players would go and play U20s and sort of go back and stuff, so I think I probably saw it as more of a pathway to go and play rugby.
“Phil Mooney, I had a bit of a chat with him… and he was just like ‘Look, if you want to play rugby, it’s probably best to play most of your developing years while you’re playing rugby’, which makes sense.
“But it was an awesome experience, even to see how people train over there and how everything’s set up was real good.
“It was a real easy decision to stick down here with Otago.”
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That decision has come with a multitude of rewards, as Collins has been involved in two Ranfurly Shield victories over Waikato at different stages of his career.
The first came in 2013, when the Razorbacks ended a 56-year wait to win the Log o’ Wood with a 26-19 win in Hamilton.
Collins then captained the side to their next success in 2018, when they returned to FMG Stadium Waikato to lock the silverware away in the final match of the regular season.
Alongside the Lions victory of 2017, Collins reflects on those results as two of the most notable of his career given the legacy of the Shield and the importance it holds among players and fans alike.
Although he was blessed with team accolades early on in his career, it took some time before Collins achieved the individual recognition he was after.
In fact, it took five seasons of Mitre 10 Cup action before the Blues eventually came calling.
“Second year uni probably got the better of me after [New Zealand] U20s,” Collins said, referring to Dunedin’s infamous student lifestyle.
“Super Rugby was always an aim, but for those few years, I wasn’t achieving what I wanted to, which was frustrating.”
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With a Super Rugby contract proving elusive, a fortuitous call-up to Pro14 outfit Scarlets in 2015 provided Collins with the springboard into full-time professionalism.
Scoring three tries in 16 matches for the Welsh club and gaining exposure in Europe’s Champions Cup validated Collins’ decision to head north for the Kiwi summer as “one of the best things I’ve definitely done in my career.”
“I think going over there [to the Pro14] was definitely a step up from Mitre 10 Cup, and then Champions Cup is another step up from that, so it was really cool.
“I guess that was the first time I’ve been in full professional set-up, day in, day out for a long period of time, so, again, for me, it was just eye-opening really.”
Not only would obtaining a UK passport via his English mother have eased the logistical side of the short-term switch, it also makes him eligible for England selection, while his Welsh grandfather means he is available for Wayne Pivac’s side.
Having worked under Pivac at Scarlets, Collins could well be on the radar of the Kiwi coach and join a number of New Zealanders – a la Gareth Anscombe, Hadleigh Parkes and Willis Halaholo – in the Welsh set-up.
It isn’t uncommon for Kiwis to don the red rose of England either – just ask Willi Heinz.
Like any professional player, the prospect of playing internationally is the ultimate goal, but, being eligible for three different countries, Collins remains coy on his test ambitions.
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“It was one of those things where I don’t want to cross anything off,” he said when asked where his allegiance lies.
“But, probably for the next couple of years for me, it’s just about getting to a good place with a good environment and contributing that way, and then whatever happens happens.”
With his Highlanders deal expiring at the end of this season, where Collins lands next will be a strong indication to the answer of that question.
“It is a one-year deal, and to be honest, I couldn’t tell you what will happen next year, but I will probably want to look for something more settled for the next wee while,” he told RugbyPass.
“I think I’m probably at a time where I can make a decision on the next few years as long as it’s the right sort of situation, team and environment sort of thing.
“I think for me, it’s just about playing some footy coming up for the Highlanders and Otago, and if you play well enough, you create some options, get a bit of leverage and you can pick which is best.”
If he can maintain the sort of form that has made him one of the most reliable figures at the Highlanders this season, there will be leverage aplenty for Collins to work with.
For now, though, playing his former side for the team that represents his home region in the position where it all started awaits at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday.
Comments on RugbyPass
After a fairly simple Pac4, the BFs will find out a lot about themselves in September when they face the rampaging RedRoses at Twickenham in front of a record crowd. After that they will face them again in Canada in WXV1. They also have France to contend with. Will be interesting to see what Australia have to offer with Jo Yapp at the helm.
1 Go to commentsSuper Rugby Pacific has been better as a spectacle due to the emphasis on speeding the game up and I’d look at taking things a step further. Instead of giving teams 90 seconds to take a conversion, let’s bring that down 60 seconds. You could also look at allowing 45 seconds for a penalty goal. Maybe teams could get 20 seconds instead of 30 to form a scrum before the ref then starts the engagement process. However, this year the most pleasing change is the added competitiveness in the Trans Tasman matches. What does frustrate me is how the rugby media in Australasia allow the the whole ‘‘rugby is boring’’/’’rugby yawnion’’ narrative to take hold from from vindictive league types, the chairman of the ARL commission and News Limited Australia. Stick up for the game and shift the narrative!
22 Go to commentsIt’s not new for nines to be the key playmaker. For the Boks it has been common, with Fourie du Preez and Joost vd Westhuizen being obvious examples. It's also not that recent for nines to be box kicking, covering high balls in the back field, and tackling in the defensive line. For example, Faf de Klerk has been doing all of that for years.
6 Go to commentsThe hell with this constant regurgitation of what this pretty boy is doing. For all I care he might as well be doing a Jamie Oliver cooking course. Rugby is not a progression toward the NFL, which, given its prominence in your reporting, you appear to regard as the ultimate contact sport. It has virtually nothing to do with rugby, and forever may that remain the case. I know that if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it, but I’m sick of seeing this dishwater-dull nonsense.
2 Go to commentsGuys Eben did not mean it in a ugly way as it’s just a feeling he had. We Safas rate the All Blacks and no Bok player wants to play NZ in a Knockout game
146 Go to commentsHe basically described who Aaron Smith also considers the GOAT 9….the one & only Fourie du Preez😎
6 Go to commentsI’m hoping that the Reds can win their last 4 games with a couple of try bonus points. The pessimist in me wouldn't be surprised if the Drua and the Tahs knock the Reds over. The Reds may end up ruing the fact they were distinctly 2nd best against the Force and just so clunky against Moana Pasifica. The Brumbies should win all their remaining games with some bonus points giving them at least a top 2 finish as the leading Kiwi sides will take points off each other. How the Brumbies handle the fact that they will be expected to beat the Crusaders will fascinate me. You’d probably have to go back to 2001 for the last time the Brumbies would go into a game against the Crusaders odds on to win.
8 Go to commentsFree to air is the key to fan expansion. I attended last weeks game at Suncorp (Reds v Blues) and the total cost is prohibitive to most people that wish to attend. Two tickets $130, parking (event day gouging) $75, road tolls $20, dinner beforehand $130, plus some petrol and a beer inside the stadium and a single game starts to cost $300-400. Who can afford that week in week out, I’d love to go more but could only afford this one game to see the Blues, I’d have loved to have seen more NZ teams here but I’d need to stop eating or sell a kidney.
22 Go to commentsBrumbies are looking good and if they keep their home form up a final is not beyond the realms of possibility. They showed against the Hurricanes exactly how clinical they can be as they absorbed pressure in that contest while also scoring points and applying their own pressure. Reds are well placed as well but need to find consistency. They are building a longer term project with a young side and plenty of quality players. Been surprising to see the strength of Aussie sides this year after the debacle of the world cup. Have NZ sides gotten weaker? Have Aussie sides gotten stronger? A bit of both I would say. Whatever the case its good to see some actual competition between NZ and Aus sides again and thats exactly what the fans wanted and is probably driving better viewership numbers. All of this can only be healthy for Aus and Super Rugby and I hope the Brumbies go all the way.
8 Go to commentsDead time reductions are important as is ball in play time increases. Premiership leads the way in terms of ball in play and Northern refereeing standards around the breakdown has sped up the game significantly. Super Rugby is trying new things but its not leading the way in terms of making gains in reducing dead time and ball in play time. Northern administrators are also not against speeding up the game, on the contrary they want a faster game and have been trying things and are embracing increasing the speed of rugby. Super Rugby isnt providing a blueprint for anything, its just part the agreed upon blueprint that administrators across the world are moving to.
22 Go to commentsSome interesting stats that just proved what my first impression of NZ’s drive to speed up Rugby Union would amount to - fine margins here and there to cut a few seconds off the game and nothing else. To do more there would have to be wholesale changes to the game like doing away with scrums, lineouts and bringing back the ELV’s to have free kicks instead of penalties. Very little chance of it happening but, in the end, Ruby Union would be a 15-man version of Rugby League. There are reasons why Rugby Union is globally more popular that Rugby League and what NZ are also not considering is the unintended consequences of what they want to achieve. This will end up turning Rugby Union into a low value product that will not be acceptable to the paying public. If people really wanted a sped-up version of rugby, then why is Rugby Union globally way more popular than Rugby League? Rugby lovers all over the world are also not stupid and have seen through what NZ are trying to achieve here, selfishly to bring back their glory days of dominance over every other nation and compete with Rugby League that is dominant in Australasia. NH countries just don’t have the cattle, or the fantastic weather needed to play like NZ SR franchises do so good luck to whoever has to try and convince the NH to accept going back to the days of NZ dominance and agreeing to wreck the game in the process. I have serious doubts on the validity of the TV stats presented by GP. All they did was expand the broadcasting base by putting it on free to air, not even any indication of arresting the continued drop in viewership. Match day attendance goes hand in hand with broadcast ratings so if there was an increase in the one you should expect to see it with the other. However, the drop in match day attendance is very evident to the casual highlights package viewer. The only club who looks to be getting solid attendance is the Drua. I am calling it now that NZ’s quest to speed up the game will fail and so will the vote on the 20-minute red card.
22 Go to commentsAll of these media pundits always miss the obvious whenever they analyse what is ailing or assisting the game. Rugby always has contentious points for debate when picking apart individual games and finding fault with itself. All this focus and scrutiny on “speeding up the game”, “high ball in play” etc is all contextual to the fan. As a tv viewer, if you’re absorbed into a game, regardless if your team is playing or not, more ball in play time and action are all byproducts of the contest. A good contest subliminally affects your memory in selectively remembering all the good aspects. A poor contest and your brain has switched off because its a blowout and the result is never in doubt or it’s a real chore to watch and remain engaged throughout. The URC, Top 14 and English premiership are all competitions that feel like there’s real jeopardy each week. The dominance of Super rugby by NZ teams was unhealthy from a sustainable interest perspective. You can’t fault those teams or the players, but the lack of competitions won by SA and Australian teams long term was always going to test the faith and patience of die-hard and casual fans from those regions. SANZAR took their eye off the fans and fans voted with their feet and subscriptions. They were so concerned about expanding their product they forgot the golden rule about broadcasting live sport. Viewers tune in more when there’s an atmosphere and a true contest. You need to fill stadiums to create one, host unions need to do more to service ticket buyers, and this year proves the other, there’s more interest in Super rugby this year only because more games are competitive with less foregone conclusions. All these micro statistics bandied about, only interest the bean counters and trainspotters.
22 Go to commentsThe match experience still sucks at SR games, irrespective of the game being a little quicker. Rugby has to compete with so much in the modern world, if you’re going to get people to leave their houses and pay to watch a game in winter then the experience has to be worthwhile.
22 Go to commentsIt’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
6 Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
16 Go to commentsWho got the benefits out of Schmidt, Lowe, Aki, and Gibson Park?
16 Go to commentsWhat’s new its a common occurrence, just the journos out there expecting a negative spin. The outcome will be beneficial to jordie and Leinster. The home grown lads hav got some experience to step up to and be more competitive, that or spend the 6 months keeping the bench warm.
16 Go to commentsI’m all for speeding up the game. But can we be certain that the slowness of the game contributed to fans walking out? I’m not so sure. Super rugby largely suffered from most fans only being able to, really, follow the games played in their own time zone. So at least a third of the fan base wasn’t engaged at any point in time. As a Saffer following SA teams in the URC - I now watch virtually every European game played on the weekend. In SR, I wouldn’t be bothered to follow the games being played on the other side of the world, at weird hours, if my team wasn’t playing. I now follow the whole tournament and not just the games in my time zone. Second, with New Zealand teams always winning. It’s like formula one. When one team dominates, people lose interest. After COVID, with SA leaving and Australia dipping in form, SR became an even greater one horse race. Thats why I think Japan’s league needs to get in the mix. The international flavor of those teams could make for a great spectacle. But surely if we believe that shaving seconds off lost time events in rugby is going to draw fans back, we should be shown some figures that supports this idea before we draw any major conclusions. Where are the stats that shows these changes have made that sort of impact? We’ve measured down to the average no. Of seconds per game. Where the measurement of the impact on the fanbase? Does a rugby “fan” who lost interest because of ball in play time suddenly have a revived interest because we’ve saved or brought back into play a matter of seconds or a few minutes each game? I doubt it. I don’t thinks it’s even a noticeable difference to be impactful. The 20 min red card idea. Agreed. Let’s give it a go. But I think it’s fairer that the player sent off is substituted and plays no further part in the game as a consequence.
22 Go to commentsThose are pretty good draws for the two top Aussie teams. I certainly wouldn't want my Chiefs to have a quarter final in Brisbane. None of the top teams will want the Crusaders.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, I am a bit lost here …. Ireland - RSA was (at least in my opinion) perhaps (from a purely technical / rugby-skills-show point of view) the pinnacle of the RWC2023 - almost flawless playing (putting aside the kicking of RSA which was the difference between the two teams), rugby at it’s very best …. if I were a Bok and after the game some Irish lads came around saying “see you in 5 weeks same place”, I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it as being in any way “arrogant”, rather a sort of jolly “if we both continue to play like this, no one could stop us” - besides, few of us fans would have, at that time, been surprised to see the same teams playing on 23 september and 28 october 2023 ….. well, we all know Ireland chose to hit a slump to keep the QF curse alive …..
146 Go to comments