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Wed 10 Sep 2014 | 05:35
Benito Masilevu's huge side-steps give Brive late victory over Toulouse

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Comments

Benito Masilevu has extended his contract at Brive just days after scoring a stunning try that helped them beat Toulouse 26-19 in their Top 14 clash. He showed up young star Gael Fickou with some outrageous stepping before scoring the match winner.

The late try gave Brive a well deserved home victory over the giant club, after they had led 16-6 at halftime. Scores were tied late in the game but the former Fiji Sevens flyer came on as a replacement late in the match, and lit up the turf with virtually his first touch of the ball.

He got it from a standing start but produced two huge steps to get the better of France centre Fickou, who couldn't contain last season's second highest try scorer on the 7's World Series circuit. He actually scored 27 tries over the nine-leg tournament, so knows his way to the whitewash.

The 24-year-old joined Brive on a two year deal in June last year but this week signed a contract extension, meaning he'll be at the club for another two years on top of that, taking him to 2017.

He said he was very happy to continue the adventure, and would give everything on the field to be able to thank the entire sports staff, who trusted him. "Brive gave me the opportunity to evolve in the Top 14, the best league in the world," Masilevu said.

Vice President in charge of sport, Max Mamers said: "We are proud to welcome to our group for the next two seasons Benito Masilevu. The Fijian magician will worry opposing defenses with his speed and deadly pressure."

Fickou didn't have time to be worried, as before he could think about it, Masilevu was past him with his well balanced out then in then out again. Absolutely deadly one-on-one finishing.

Posted By: Grant Constable

10 Comments

  • hendogo
    3:08 PM 12/09/2014

    I think that defender left his jock strap back at the half way line. Man he broke that guy ankles.

  • 7:14 AM 12/09/2014

    One on one? He stopped 3 defenders dead and then left them there...fantastic stuff!

  • disco
    2:00 AM 12/09/2014

    @ Stroudos "By the way, what is it with Fijians?"

    It's the combination of environmental conditions (beach / sun) and a leadership that promotes rugby, from what I understand. That and obviously now the proud tradition of being the best players of the rugby ball in the world of rugby union.

  • disco
    1:56 AM 12/09/2014

    Absolutely! That was the best part of the video... boxing is probably the only other sport where I've seen that kind of decency between on a very real level between two greats. Sometimes you see it at the Olympics and it happens every weekend in schools but in professional sport at this level of intensity, it's rare and it was the most amazing part of the whole thing for me; we'll see better from both the Frenchman and the Fijian in the next 12 months.

  • disco
    1:52 AM 12/09/2014

    Knock on - check syntax
    Laws - check sport
    "... as soon as he kicked" - check Law 8 :

    Law 8
    ...
    8.1 ADVANTAGE IN PRACTICE
    (a) The referee is sole judge of whether or not a team has gained an advantage. The referee has wide discretion when making decisions.
    (b) Advantage can be either territorial or tactical.
    (c) Territorial advantage means a gain in ground.
    (d) Tactical advantage means freedom for the non-offending team to play the ball as they wish

    The wide discretion of my decision is that judging by your command of the basic fundamentals of the game you're in no position to be adjudicating but I've already heard your opinion on the field and I respect it. Some people don't actually need to know what's going on in order to be useful; it's a game for all shapes and sizes, as they say.

  • 10stonenumber10
    4:12 PM 11/09/2014

    Talent in the Southern Hemisphere either comes in boy band ID'd for cigarettes age 25 James O'Connor style, or you were born age 18 and carried your mum home from hospital day 1.

    I personally haven't aged a day since 16, 9 years on (apart from 2 stone of muscle and 2 years without a haircut), I look identical to my U16 team photo.... but 18 years of playing this fair game have taken their toll on my knees and Achilles, some mornings I wake up and feel about 50!

  • stroudos
    9:20 AM 11/09/2014

    Show me another sport where you get completely shown up by your opposition and you join in his celebration with a little handshake/tap. Well, there's golf, but that's played on a quite different level of aggression.

    By the way, what is it with Fijians? They seem to do all their ageing in their first 20 years of life. This bloke's 24 and looks about 50 (in the face, clearly not in the way he runs); then you get blokes like Bobo and Serevi who don't look any older 15 or more years later and are still able to play elite level rugby.

  • danknapp
    8:28 AM 11/09/2014

    Sign him up for Strictly.

  • 10stonenumber10
    11:12 PM 10/09/2014

    Hand me that Physics text book... it's going straight into the bin.

  • disco
    10:32 PM 10/09/2014

    Can't blame Fickou, I think that would have put anyone on their arse. Happened to O'Driscoll once that I remember (although he did it to a fair few defenders to be fair).

    Massive knock-on with no advantage to Toulouse after Flood's poor clearance that gave Brive the ball back in space with little ground made. I think the ref missed the knock on as he's giving advantage for playing the man when Masilevu gets his hands on the ball. Shame for Toulouse who will remember this game and that decision at the end of the season, no doubt. As a rugby fan, avant tout, I'm glad the ref missed the knock-on as Masilevu is always a delight to watch. He uses his footwork as much in defense as he does in attack, often tricking bigger players into going into contact on his terms. That side-step and pace coupled with aggression and technique in defense make him one of the most dangerous wingers in France right now which is saying something.

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