"Many people have got us confused when we were playing for the same team at Wairarapa United," Mason-Smith said with a laugh yesterday when asked if the pair were aware of the resemblance and confusion.
The footballer, who hails from Cambridge, East Anglia, north of London, says he had an even more slight build when he first arrived on the shores of New Zealand to ply his trade four years ago for a season with Richmond Athletic Football Club in Nelson.
"Hamish is a big, physical boy so he has the edge on me a little," said Mason-Smith who has impressed on his debut season in the national summer league with the Hawke's Bay franchise.
Nevertheless, he emphasises the presence of "two big lads like us" often has the Beefeaters in the opposition team put their minds on overdrive when they see the pair charging up to the 18m box.
Mason-Smith has scored only one goal, in the 3-0 victory over South United at Park Island last month, but the striker has been unlucky. Perhaps the one that stuck out most was in the 1-0 victory over WaiBOP United in a televised game in Taupo.
Either the bounce of the ball deserted him in the final execution or he simply found the woodwork pining for attention.
But he isn't the type to fret. The Englishman, who left home in search of career as a 19-year-old, is mindful the CV of a striker demands more than just one who slots goals although he wouldn't mind having a few more alongside his name in the race for the golden boot honours in the premiership.
Of course, he acknowledges it was Watson's deft back-heel pass that enabled him to score his first goal.
"We are both big lads and both of us are capable with our feet," he says although Watson has shed a few kilos from the past few seasons when he had a more imposing frame and a definitive foot.
That is not to say Mason-Smith didn't find centre-mid Tom Biss, promoted to No 10, equally advantageous in feeding him "killer" passes when not dazzling the defence with his footwork.
"As long as we keep creating chances to score we'll be all right," he said, echoing the collective mantra that Angell drums into his troops who are undefeated to date and sitting on the same number of points, 10, as premiership leaders Auckland City although the latter have a superior goal difference.
However, he stresses it's good to have strikers who aren't too similar in prowess because it'll make it too easy for the defence to put them on a leash.
Mason-Smith played for Miramar Rangers in the Lotto Central League during winter as well as Team Wellington for a couple of playoff matches three years ago.
He would have liked to stay at the premiership level longer after the Team Wellington appearances but because other players there got trials before him he found himself in the peripheral zone of selection.
Consequently he had no hesitation coming to Bay United to secure more game time in a bid to advance to the higher echelons of A-league footy with either the Ernie Merrick-coached Phoenix or any other Australian franchise.
Mason-Smith knows some of the younger lads in tomorrow's opposition, such as Andrew Blake, who were at Miramar when he was there.
Assistant coach Valerio Raccuglia also coached at Miramar but he expects a different Nix Reserves tomorrow because they have evolved and matured as players since Mason-Smith's days.
Mason-Smith travels every week on Thursdays with Cory Chettleburgh and Birhanu Taye from Wellington to train and play here.
MATCH DETAILS
WHO: Hawke's Bay Utd v Wellington Phoenix Reserves.
WHEN: Tomorrow, 4.35pm kick off.
WHERE: Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, Napier.
REFEREE: Chris Kerr.
ASST REFS: Mark Rule, Gareth Sheehan.
4th OFFICIAL: Ashley Davenport.
REF ASSESSOR: Rod Pelosi.
Hawke's Bay Utd: 1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Sean Liddicoat, 3. Kohei Matsumoto, 4. Finlay Milne (c), 5. Harrison Nash, 7. Cory Chettleburgh, 8. Tom Biss, 9. Kyle King, 10. Zane Sole, 11. Khair Jones, 13. Godwin Addai, 14. Jade Mesias, 15. Samuel Mason-Smith, 16. Hamish Watson, 19. Birhanu Taye, 21 Fabien Kurimata, Jarrod Hastings (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell.
Wellington Phoenix Reserves: Marcel Kampman (GK), Joe Bell, Andrew Blake, Ruairi Cahill-Fleury, Troy Danaskos, Tamupiwa Dimairo, Louis Evans, Dylan Fox, Cherbel Khouchaba, Max Mata, James McGarry, Logan Rogerson, Sarpreet Singh, Joel Stevens, Oliver Sail (RGK).
Coach: Andy Hedge.
Ast coach: Valerio Raccuglia.
