He is not the quickest on the park, not the biggest ever or the slickest mover.
But he is good. Better than any beep test or weight-to-power ratio will tell you.
Collins does not make many mistakes and is a cool head in tough situations, a natural leader who does not back down to anyone.
He is the ideal man for a tricky trip to Canberra this week in what could be his last bow for a team in the South.
Collins is looking forward for the trip, which, if results go their way, could lead the Highlanders to a trip to the final of the Trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition on Saturday week.
"It is going to be tricky but exciting.
"What we have done in the last four weeks we have put ourselves in the position to control what we are doing come playoff football," he said.
"We don’t need to chase tries, chase points or anything. I think if we just play the game and back the plan we are given, then stuff will happen."
Collins said it was just about the side playing its game and not worrying about other things.
"If we start trying to get worked up about other results and whatever it will start to get messy.
"For us it is good that we are playing one of the first games [of the weekend].
"Knowing what you are going to have to do is probably going to create a lot of scoreboard pressure that is irrelevant to how you are going to play.
"If we just go out there play good enough rugby then we will do enough what we need."
Collins played his 50th game of Super Rugby in the 59-23 defeat of the Waratahs at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night.
He has played 29 for the Blues and the rest for the Highlanders, having signed for the side just last year.
"It was good [to play 50 games]. Coming back from overseas five years ago, playing one Super game was the goal.
"To tick off 50 before shooting away was pretty special for me."
Collins, who turned 28 last week, played for Otago in 2012, the first year out of Otago Boys’ High School. He did not crack Super Rugby initially and at the end of the 2015 season went to Wales to play a season for the Llanelli Scarlets.
That was the making of him. He came back and played well for Otago in 2016 which led to a contract at the Blues the following year.
"That spell overseas — I think it was pretty helpful. Just a fresh environment, some pretty good coaches over there.
"My game went ahead massively.
"[It was] just about understanding the game a lot more. Obviously they play a bit different over there with the weather.
"Then [I’ve] come back here and had some pretty good coaches over the last five or so years. And [played in] in the midfield last couple of years."
"I enjoy centre — just think its suits my physical attributes a bit better, just with my head space.
"I enjoy the challenge of a whole lot of pictures on defence and offence coming at you which is all part of it."
Collins is heading back to Wales at the end of the season, having signed a two-year deal with Ospreys.
"I’m looking forward to getting over there. [It’s] going to be a whole new challenge, just adjusting to a new lifestyle.
"It has been nice playing at home. You’re comfortable playing at home.
"You need to put yourself in a place where you don’t really know anyone, don’t have those direct support networks that are right beside you."
Collins qualifies as a local as his late grandfather was a proud Welshman. But playing for Wales was not on his radar and he said talk of him chasing a Welsh test jersey was simply someone chasing headlines.
Collins captained Otago in the last three seasons, and has played in all three successful Ranfurly Shield challenges for Otago in the past nine seasons. He lifted the log twice as captain of the blue and golds.
But it all could have been so different. In 2011, Collins went to the Melbourne Storm for a week to check out the club and see if the 13-man game was for him.
"Friends still remind me I was there.
"I’m real close with Matt Duffie. He went there and played league and then came back, and then we ended up in the same place at the Blues. It would have been interesting.
"Who knows?
"I might have been an absolute bust but I’m happy with how it has worked out here," Collins said.
