Hitman, enforcer-the terms have serious underhand connotations and Mark Shaw bristles about those descriptions of his work but in his time, Shaw seemed to carry an explosive devise under his black jersey.
Different game, different time, law of the jungle, he would say. Wallaby Steve Williams understands. He made the mistake of missing with his attempted clout and in retaliation, Shaw broke his jaw with a short left.
Shaw was unbending about his deeds for the team and thrilled in 1980 when Graham Mourie redefined the roles with Shaw in the tight-loose duties on the blindside. He was in sporting heaven.
"Any guy who wanted my spot in the All Blacks was going to have to fight me for it," he said.
Shaw weighed in about 95kgs and stood 1.88m and used that frame aggressively in bustling driving play and rugged defence. Once he made the All Blacks, it governed his life. He drew on the emotion of being an All Black to deliver the unwavering commitment to the black jersey.