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A basketball international, Richie Collins was a gifted and intelligent ball player. An excellent support player, he was able to turn up in the right place at the right time - an essential skill for any flanker. Unfortunately, at 14 stone he was a bantam-weight amongst the giants of world rugby and selectors would often forsake his ball skills for those of a sixteen stone battering ram. Richie made his debut in 1987 as a replacement for Phil Davies in the game against England. Davies had been flattened at an early lineout and Collins, a Police Officer, would enter a game which would have benefited from a few arrests. As it was Wales went on to win a terrible match. Success then came in the 1987 World Cup, where Wales claimed third place. In the tournament Richie would face the fearsome All Blacks who would go onto dominate the World game. On returning from the World Cup, Welsh rugby and Collins enjoyed a successful Five Nations season.
The Triple Crown was claimed and Richie was a key link player in the pack. Indeed, it was his basketball style pass that gave the Welsh backs the ball to work Adrian Hadley in for his second and decisive try against England. Against Scotland, where again Wales played some thrilling rugby, Collins enjoyed a tremendous battle with the wily Scottish flanker, John Jeffery. Ireland, where the Crown was secured, was much more of a dour victory. Injury ended what would be a disastrous tour of New Zealand and Collins also missed the 1989 Five Nations season but returned to international rugby in 1990 with the departure of many Welsh back-row forwards to rugby league. It wasn't a happy return. Ron Wauldron of Neath was installed as Welsh coach and tried to take his club strategy to the international stage. It didn't work and Collins and Wales would endure a Wooden Spoon at the end of the season.
Worse was to come with the 63-6 defeat against the rampant Australians in Brisbane but Welsh rugby reached its nadir with a World Cup defeat against Western Samoa in 1991. Collins was dropped for the hard-running Richard Webster and it looked like his international career was over. However, Richie enjoyed a fresh lease of life playing at Pontypridd. He was recalled after a three year absence, scoring his second try against Fiji in Suva. He did not feature in the Championship winning team of 1994 but had regained a first team place in the 1995 season. Sadly this was another Wooden Spoon for Collins and Wales. Richie's last game would be remembered for a late tackle on Ireland's Eric Elwood - his replacement Paul Burke went on to win the game for the Irish. A skilful player, what Collins would have given to play behind the great Welsh front fives of the Seventies. (John Lovell)
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