England lock keen to prove doubters wrong

It's little wonder Simon Shaw is still going strong at the ripe old age of 36, just coming off arguably the finest series of his life and being hailed as a one-man fixit for all of England rugby's ills.

The guy clearly has some staying power, and, who knows, maybe he can thank a Kiwi sports coaching legend for playing a small part in that.

Wind the clock back 17 years or so and Shaw was undergoing his rugby apprenticeship – where else? – in New Zealand playing Dunedin club rugby for Pirates out in the beachside suburb of St Kilda.

As Shaw spoke about the prospects of his 53rd England cap, but just his third appearance against the All Blacks, the giant lock was reminded by a New Zealand reporter about those formative years cutting his teeth in Dunedin rugby.

He recalled legendary swimming coach Duncan Laing, who also guided Pirates in those days, and he remembered Laing would have him up swimming laps at the Moana Pool whenever he could to help the young "Pom" improve his fitness.

"It was all right," added Shaw, "but do you know who he had me swimming with? A lad called Danyon Loader, who I think turned out to be not too bad a swimmer."

Of course Loader went on to claim double Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, but Shaw, who was arguably the British and Irish Lions' best player – certainly their most destructive – in the recent 1-2 epic series defeat in South Africa, has also found some success in his own golden years.

In fact, so important is he now to the England cause that barely had he got the better of a stress reaction in his left foot, than he was rushed back from a couple of club knockabouts into a Sunday morning (NZ time) meeting with the All Blacks at Twickenham.

And for a press desperate for a positive story around English rugby, after the loss to the Wallabies and the much criticised win over Argentina, the 123kg Wasps giant has certainly fit the bill.

Already he's talking the sort of tough talk that will be music to Johnson's ears. Remember this is a guy who, back in 2002, lasted just 10 minutes of the second test against the All Blacks at Eden Park, red-carded for a cynical knee to Keith Robinson who was prone in a ruck.

"You can prove a lot of people wrong in just a week's time," said Shaw, struggling a little with a tickle in his throat. "We're going out with a very positive attitude and we hope to prove a lot of our doubters wrong.

"There's no reason to shy away from it, it's the last game of the autumn series, it's the All Blacks and we've got to come out and challenge them."

Asked what he thought it would take to topple the All Blacks – which England haven't done since 2003 – Shaw was not looking to beat around any bushes.

"We need to be clearly very aggressive and confrontational and take it to the All Blacks," he said. "There's no use in trying to hold back and contain them because you always end up on the losing side. We've just got to take it to them."

Shaw, who made his England debut all the way back in 1996, shrugged off suggestions he is some old-school-type hero of English rugby, instead suggesting that if anyone should have elevated status in the team right now it should be openside flanker Lewis Moody, another senior presence on top of his game.

He also thanked the Kiwi reporter for mentioning he'd aged well, but said he didn't know "an awful lot" about his All Black equivalent Brad Thorn.

That clearly will change at the weekend when these two old soldiers with the cast-iron tickers will be right at the heart of everything their respective teams do.

In terms of taking on an All Blacks side that's perhaps a little vulnerable itself, Shaw would have none of it.

"I don't think I've ever seen a weak All Blacks side… any time you face the All Blacks it's going to be an incredibly hard game and you have to reach for your reserves and every ounce of energy to beat them."

Martin Johnson knows only too well the value of a tough-minded second-rower. He was one himself... And on Sunday at Twickenham he'll look to his Shaw thing to fill that role.

- © Fairfax NZ News