KEY POINTS:
It is hard to reconcile the sleepy, languid figure with the devastating tackler who has damaged rivals' ribcages. You also have to check again when Brian Lima says he winces watching his sons smash into other kids during matches for the Marist club in Apia.
But there is
no doubt about the honour Lima will achieve for himself and Samoa when he checks in for a record fifth World Cup this month in France. A bit like George Gregan's marvellous list of test appearances, it is difficult to envisage anyone matching the Samoan warrior's feat.
His national coach, Michael Jones, is in awe. "It is not going to be done again," says Jones. "You can only marvel at Brian's longevity.
"Everyone is very proud of him and it is an amazing feat. It is up with the great stories of athleticism.
"He rarely gets injured which is amazing for someone who is so physical and uncompromising in his play. And he is not the biggest person either."
Springbok five-eighths Derick Hougaard can vouch for Lima's power. He still recoiled this year when he recalled the thunderous hit Lima put on him as he regathered an unsympathetic pass during the sides' meeting at the last tournament.
Jones knows a thing or two about tackling, the pain threshold and mental strength needed to stay at the pinnacle of world rugby. Lima's exploits as a 35-year-old wing-midfielder amaze and delight his coach.
"He has the speed and the timing, the sweetest timing I have ever seen tackling opponents, he has the ability to hit exactly at the right moment, he anticipates and makes it the art-form it is," Jones says.
"He knows how to transfer his weight at the crucial time and weight for weight he is the heaviest tackler in world rugby, he is the greatest exponent of tackling.
"He is the toughest person mentally that I have met.
"I have met a few tough characters in my time like Fitzy and Zinny but this guy outdoes them - how he keeps going is just extraordinary.
"Believe me there was no sentiment in my selection for this World Cup. He is still right up there, he is one of the best backs in our team. I have had to manage him but it is worth it. He is the consummate professional, he has amazing dedication and discipline and is a fantastic role model for all those other guys in our team. He carries a lot of mana and influence."
Lima's rise to the world stage began in 1990 when coach Peter Schuster was scouting for talent to help out for some qualifying games while experienced wing Timo Tagaloa was unavailable.
"He came down to watch me play for St Joseph's College and it went from there," Lima recalls.
The teenage wing was so impressive, Schuster picked him for the 1991 cup and he has been a tournament fixture ever since. Like all the others though, he had to wait until he heard his name broadcast last month on national radio and television.
"It is something I am very proud of. I knew there were a lot of up-and-coming players and I had to be in my top form to make it. It is an honour for Samoa and a privilege for me."
Lima feels very sharp, better than he has for several years after six weeks of tough training back home before the side left for some trial games in Britain and their base in France. This is his last hurrah although he thinks he might play a few social games for Marist in Apia - social opponents beware.
His days of chasing global contracts in New Zealand, Japan and Europe to support his wife, Sina, three boys and extended family are almost over. It is time to build up his rental car business and spend time on his island.
"The World Cup should be fun but we are in one of the toughest groups [with South Africa, England, Tonga and US].
"I remember that first tournament in 1991, they are probably my best memories. We were not expected to do much good, certainly by people in the Northern Hemisphere, because we played some teams of great difficulty," he says. Samoa stunned that tournament by starting with a win against Wales, running the eventual champion Wallabies close and beating Argentina to make the quarters, a qualifying feat they repeated in South Africa in 1995.
This time Samoa will not be able to sneak up on any of their opponents but Jones believes they can still inflict some damage.
"We only get one shot at this, we have to maximise our resources, a lot of teams will be wary of us.
"We are playing a style of rugby most teams seem to have copied, that expansive style we used at the last tournament so we have got to be even more creative this time," he said.
"The thing now with Tonga qualifying in our group is that there's no easy game, our pool will be very physical."
Jones wants to nurture Lima through the tournament but thinks he still has enough pace to play on the wing against Tonga and the US though he will shift him into midfield for the greater intensity of matches against the Springboks and England.
"He is the right man for us in a variety of roles, he still has the body of an 18-year-old," Jones says.
"He is pure refined muscle."
Lima feels blessed that he has avoided serious injury other than a knee reconstruction in 2000 and a dislocated wrist which kept him out of the Blues side for the 1998 Super 12 final. How does his body feel these days?
"When I was young I had a lot of energy, I did a lot of running around, I had a lot of natural fitness. Now I train differently to recondition my body, I am still training very hard but in a different manner," he says.
And his tackling? Has he tempered that? "Oh no. I still work hard on that. It comes down to technique, timing and heart. In Samoa we all love tackling, even in make-up games they all go hard at each other. I have worked hard on that technique."
However it does alarm Lima when he watches the ferocity of rugby games involving his three young sons.
"I get scared seeing them play. I watch them and am scared of the contact when they play."
Probably not half as apprehensive as some World Cup opponents will be about their health if they see the blue-shirted warrior before he clobbers them.
