Chris Masoe: Named Top 14 player of the year
Former All Blacks loose forward Chris Masoe was voted Top 14 player of the year by his fellow players on Monday.
The 33-year-old - capped 20 times from 2005-07 - was outstanding for Castres last season as they reached the Top 14 semi-finals and has maintained his form this term after joining Toulon.
Masoe, who played his last game for the All Blacks when they lost in the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals to France, succeeds France fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc as winner of the prestigious award.
Revelation of the year went to Castres' French international full-back Brice Dulin, the 22-year-old having had an outstanding season with Agen last season.
The Toulouse coaching team of Guy Noves, Yannick Bru -- who is now one of the national side's coaches - and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde won the Top 14 coaching award for guiding the side to their second successive national title.
The Second Division coaching award went to the Grenoble staff of Fabrice Landreau, Sylvain Begon and Franck Corrihons, for guiding them to top of the table last season.
Grenoble centre Nigel Hunt was named best player in the second tier.
This season Grenoble have built on that success and after eight matches are a very respectable fifth in the table having won five matches.
International referee Romain Poite got the nod for best Top 14 official for the second successive year.
Comments
side_stepper says...
He looks like he's enjoying a walk at the park. Congrats, well deserved.
Posted 06:32 19th October 2012
three6three6 says...
Masoe never let the ABs down.... unlike some other fringe backrow players of his era with the ABs. He was always a good quality player who has performed very well in France and in European Championships. I certainly remember him also scoring against the 2005 Lions and being picked as an AB.
Posted 03:49 18th October 2012
Ferdie says...
Bones7 - I like to follow the players who once turned out for Taranaki; in the same era as Masoe were the two Australians who came across and played 2-3 seasons of NPC rugby, Brock James (now in France for Clermont Auvergne) and James Hilgendorf (now Western Force). if James had stayed in Oz he may well have made the Wallabies, but has done well in the French competition.
cuw3100 - made me laugh. I was trying to be polite with my 'few kgs heavier' - but yes, lets be honest he's certainly packed on the weight! He has a Commonwealth Games gold for 7s- he'd be well off the pace now.
Posted 12:43 17th October 2012
cuw3100 says...
OMG look at the size of him!!! Used to be a fast loosie but was always behind in the list as McCaw and Jerry were the preferred. It seems he plays at 8 now.
Just shows how tallented these NZ guys are; so many exes doing great things in Europe. He is good but dont think ATM he will even get a look into the MIB setup.
Posted 07:48 17th October 2012
Bones7 says...
I'm a big fan of Masoe Ferdie, I'm glad he's doing well. I remember him scoring for Taranaki against the Lions in 05
Posted 23:08 16th October 2012
Ferdie says...
another ex-Taranaki man - also see Census Johnstone in the PR Heineken Cup team of the week he played here in 2006, improved with age.
And Masoe - ten years ago he won the Taranaki Sportsman of the Year, and has had a good life after the ABs. Looks quite a few kgs heavier than when he played here, must be that great French cuisine!
Posted 12:48 16th October 2012