Shaw aims to make up for lost time

It was Shaw's misfortune to have travelled to Australia in 2003 as a replacement and despite sitting on the bench for one game, he never made it onto the pitch.

This provided rugby anoraks with a testing question in pubs around the country and only added to the irritation the London Wasps lock felt about that unusual episode.

Now, Shaw is just 48 hours away from appearing in his first World Cup match, pulling on the England No4 jersey for the opening pool fixture with America in Lens.

The previous holder of the shirt was a certain Martin Osborne Johnson, captain of the 2003 champions and an immovable rock which Shaw had no chance of dislodging from the team.

He was ignored for the 1999 tournament and axed just before the squad left for Australia four years later and then called up as a replacement for the injured Danny Grewcock.

His ambivalence towards that winner's medal - which spent more time in the possession of friends than in his house - has mellowed.

Given the set-backs at previous tournaments, it came as no shock to discover on the eve of England's departure for this one that Shaw had required hospital treatment for a facial infection.

But, to the relief of all concerned, the antibiotics allowed him to fly out with the rest of the squad and he was passed fit to take on the Americans.

The 34-year-old Wasps lock currently sports a goatee beard, a legacy of his inability to shave while the face was swollen. His team mates nicknamed him

"Desperate Dan" in recognition of the oversized jaw and it was a fitting analogy as he already boasted a 6ft 9ins, 19st 7lbs body to match the super-strong cartoon hero.

Facial hair was the reason Shaw became ill, as he explained: "I don't normally shave before matches but I did in the build up to our final warm up game with France in Marseille. "I got an accidental boot in the face during the match, which created a few grazes that became infected. I needed the antibiotics because the lymph nodes under the chin - local to the area of the infection - expanded to the delight of my team mates and I looked a bit, jowly like a bull-frog. "I couldn't shave, so the beard is the result - although I always intended to have a moustache for the World Cup.

"The lads back at Wasps are growing moustaches to raise finds for a testicular cancer charity in September and however many days left in the month when you shave it off is the amount you donate."

Shaw is one of six Wasps players in the England team; along with Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey, Phil Vickery, Tom Rees and Joe Worsley - just reward for the Heineken Cup champions. England head coach Brian Ashton has picked five Wasps forwards to give the pack the best chance of knitting together quickly and Shaw's immense strength and ball handling is a key factor.

Now, it's all about making up for lost World Cup time and joining the ranks of English players who have appeared in a tournament match.

"Playing my first minute of World Cup rugby has been a long time coming," admitted a rueful Shaw.

"Until I knew I was going to play it didn't really feel like I was there. "The first game is important but I want to be in the team for the long haul and play a full part in this World Cup campaign. I don't want one game here and one game there.

"I never thought that my chance of ever playing in the tournament had gone because making the 2007 squad was a target I set myself.

"I was out of contention for a while, not being involved in the Six Nations, but I always had the confidence that my form with Wasps would be good enough. The Heineken Cup win gave me a confidence boost and the feeling I would be involved. I could have stayed with Bristol and never won anything and didn't look like I would with the club, and I play to win medals. "Titles have done that for many years and it keeps you going and once you collect one medal, you want another."