Simon Shaw my Lord, Simon Shaw.......

I am yet to make up my mind on whether I like Stephen Jones, The Times' chief rugby correspondent. He quite often talks sense - his opinions of the ELVs and the various fuck-wits that forced these ridiculous notions of change onto the great game sit very comfortably with my own. But, he quite often throws in a clanger of Brian Moore sized proportions. Not that I can think of a specific one now (isn't it always the way) but they are significant enough to cast doubt in my mind as to whether I fully condone his views.

But, there is one subject upon which I can categorically agree with Jones, Simon Shaw. In Jones's article for the August edition of Rugby World he describes Shawsy in the same breath as Martin Johnson and John Eales. WHAT?? You may say. The man only has 54 caps (including 2 Lions caps). Pre-fucking-sicely says I. He is one of the greats in-spite of his caps record.

The man has 54 caps but could easily have had 100 if it had not been for narrow minded coaches not willing to take the risk on his size and bulk. Yes he suffered playing in the same era as Jonno, but whose to say that Shawsy and Jonno couldn't have forged a partnership similar, if not superior, to the likes of Botha and Matfield in more recent times.

I grant you Shaw has blossomed with age, he has worked out how to use his height, weight and power in almost perfect symphony and his performance in the second Lions test this Summer was testament to that. But, his career as a whole puts him up there in the echelons of the greats.

First capped for England in 1996 against Italy he has been on at least the periphery of the England set-up ever since, only injuries forcing his exclusion all together. He made it to the 2003 World Cup picking up a winners medal and an MBE and the 2007 World cup final. He has toured with 3 Lions parties and it's a travesty he only picked up his first Lions cap in what will surely be his last tour for the men in red. The fact he was omitted from the first test in 2009 is another coaching blunder resulting in a record not being as full as it should.

His domestic record is perhaps the most impressive. In May 2008 he became the first player ever to play in 200 Premiership matches and I'll wager very few others go on to do the same, he is also the only lock forward to ever score a drop goal in the premiership. At Wasps he has collected three Premiership and one Powergen Cup winner's medals, the Heineken Cup twice, the Tetley Bitter Cup twice, and the Parker Pen European Shield. A truly awesome haul of silverware. And, he is showing no signs of imminent retirement, the man is 36 but could seemingly go on for at least another couple of seasons which will take the length of his playing career to over 20 years. Unprecedented.

But, for me, the moment which showed the shear class of the man was after his man-of-the-match performance in the 28-25 epic 2nd test in Pretoria in 2009. This was, as Stephen Jones described it, his career game. Jim Telfer in 1997 described a Lions tour in South Africa as a players' Everest. Shaw not only summited his Everest, he threw in K2, and the north face of the Eiger for good measure. He was simply awesome. Mere mortals may have taken solace in their man-of-the-match award but for Shaw it did not register, the game was lost, the tour had gone and the tears welling up in his eyes almost brought the room of lads I was with to tears as well. Legend.

So, Stephen Jones. I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment and, on this occasion, I encourage others to do the same.