Simon Shaw

Simon Shaw was only 17 when he played against Wasps for Bristol and was clearly destined for the highest honours in the game. The 'Gentle Giant' has been one of the best locks in the Premiership for several seasons, joining us in London from the West Country in 1997.

Simon has represented England at every level and was a certain choice for the successful Lions tour to South Africa that same year. A spate of injuries and Wasps' indifferent form in his first season, cost the big man his England place and even though he fought back to make the England squad for the following summer's tour, bad luck struck again and he was forced to withdraw with a long-standing back injury.

Now a regular in the Wasps line-up Shaw has toured with England in the last two summers and has challenged the regular pairing of Martin Johnson, Danny Grewcock and Ben Kay for a number of years now.

Shaw was surprisingly left out of the 2003 World Cup Squad, but injuries within the England camp saw him called out to Australia. He also became a proud father in 2003 with the birth of his first daughter, the second following in 2005.

Despite his unjustifiably small number of England caps, Simon returned from Australia in 2003 with a World Cup medal. He was called out to New Zealand this summer for his second Lions tour, and justified his selection with some characteristically barnstorming performances for the unbeaten midweek squad under Ian McGeechan that ensured his place in the Elite Player Squad for 2005-6.