Dan Carter and Sonny Bill Williams were among a group of world champion New Zealand players who took the Webb Ellis Cup to Jerry Collins’ grave. Ma’a Nonu, Liam Messam and Jerome Kaino also paid their respects to the former All Black, who would have been 35 on Wednesday.
Collins died in a car accident while on holiday in France in June. His partner, Alana Madill, also died but his baby daughter, Alya, survived the crash and now lives with her mother’s family in Canada.
Kaino wrote on Instagram: “Belated Happy Birthday USO! Love you uce! Always got you.” Uso means brother in Samoan.
Collins won 48 All Blacks caps and developed a fearsome reputation as one of the toughest forwards in the game. The former Wellington, Toulon and Ospreys back-row was part of the New Zealand side that reached the 2003 World Cup semi-finals, but never won the trophy in his career.
Happy belated bday to our fallen uso.We love you JCterminator 🙏🏿@SonnyBWilliams @LiamMessam @DanCarter @jeromekaino pic.twitter.com/GDS3LkQrGH
— Ma'a Nonu (@maavelous) November 5, 2015
