Collins cleared of daylight robbery

By DANIEL GILHOOLY of NZPA

Jerry Collins admits on another day he wouldn't have got away with the thievery that pushed the All Blacks clear in last night's Bledisloe Cup rugby test here at Eden Park.

With New Zealand trailing 7-9 nearing the half-hour mark, No 8 Collins was the catalyst for winger Doug Howlett's second try when he reached over to snatch the ball out of Australia's side of a ruck.

The turnover caught the Wallabies short at the back and Howlett raced on to a chip by first five-eighth Carlos Spencer to give the All Blacks a lead they would never relinquish as they pushed on to a 21-17 victory.

Wallabies captain George Gregan was visibly unimpressed, pointing out to South African referee Jonathan Kaplan that Collins had infringed by using his hands in a ruck.

Gregan had calmed down after the match.

"That was the way he (Kaplan) called it so you just have to deal with it. I didn't complain, I just asked whether it was a ruck," he said.

Gregan said Kaplan's response -- both before and during Collins' raid -- was that it was a ruck. However, he didn't want to discuss the subject further.

Collins said his heart was in his mouth when he grabbed the ball.

"On any other day that could easily have been different," he said.

"It's a spur of the moment thing, you see the ball there and your eyes light up. But sometimes you touch it and it goes the other way.

"I went for it and he (Kaplan) just put his hands out (to play on)."

Collins, who produced a typically powerful defensive performance, was unconcerned at Gregan's on-field protestations.

"Georgie, he's always talking," Collins smiled.

Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones had no public complaints about match officials ruling out three possible tries for his side.

Replacement flanker Owen Finegan and first five-eighth Stephen Larkham both dived for the tryline in the space of a minute but on both occasions were denied by the video referee, with camera angles inconclusive due to bodies over the ball.

Also, winger Lote Tuqiri dotted down under the crossbar early in the game but Kaplan called play back to award Australia a penalty, seemingly having applied no advantage.

"We've got no complaints about that," Jones said.

"You get some good ones and you get some ordinary ones."

- NZPA