Jason Shoemark.
Jason Shoemark thrives on the Dad's Army jokes his Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby teammates throw his way.
At 33, and the oldest in the squad, he expects them. But he is quick to point out utility back Matt Berquist, two years Shoemark's junior, receives more.
"It's because Matt is bald," Shoemark joked.
An example of how the jokes bring out the best in Shoemark was the fact he did the best in a recent yoyo endurance test with a score of 22. The 2009 and '10 Magpies captain will receive a bigger test when he has his first ITM Cup starting XV appearance of the season in tomorrow's Ranfurly Shield defence against Bay of Plenty at Napier's McLean Park.
As expected Shoemark, who has had four appearance off the bench this season, replaces Andrew Horrell at second five-eighth.
"I know I've got big shoes to fill. I just have to carry on doing what Andrew has been doing and make everything run smoothly," Shoemark said.
"It's been a different feeling sitting on the bench but the body feels good. Hopefully I can add to what has been done so far."
A former Blues and Highlanders Super player before travelling overseas to play for the Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership, Shoemark, said the only difference between being a starter and a sub is the starter gets more time in the starting XV at trainings. And the biggest differences between this year's Magpies squad and the Magpies teams he played for from 2006-'10?
"This one is so much younger. There's Matt Berquist, Chris Eaton and I who are over 30 and the rest are in their early to mid 20s. This is a very talented team ... we just have to build consistency. We have to back up those performances like we had against Otago week in and week out. We learnt against Northland [a 23-21 loss] what can happen when you have lapses ... it's a mental thing."
Magpies head coach Craig Philpott has predictably retained Otane freezing worker Shannan Chase on the left wing after his memorable debut last weekend. Shoemark will be the only change to the starting XV if captain and openside flanker Brendon O'Connor passes his final concussion tests today and tomorrow.
If O'Connor is ruled out Tony Lamborn will move from the blindside role to the openside role, Trent Boswell-Wakefield will start in the No 6 jersey and Tom Stanley will replace Boswell-Wakefield on the subs bench. Changes to the bench see new Crusader Ged Robinson return after his knee surgery to replace Tivaini Fomai and Billy Ropiha replaces Shoemark.
Prop Jason Long, who scored a try last weekend, retains the substitute prop role as Adrian Barone has yet to recover from his calf injury.
Should Philpott and his assistant Danny Lee detect any form of complacency in their camp, in the wake of last weekend's 41-0 win against Otago, during the next two days they should remind their players about the pre-season clash between the two teams in Rotorua back in July. The Steamers won this match 35-0 and while they have only won one ITM Cup clash to date they have definitely been playing better than this record suggests.
"That was a good thumping. This time the shield is up for grabs and every team gets up for shield games," Shoemark warned.
Former Magpie Tino Nemani will start on the right wing and former Magpies training squad prop Siegfried Fisiihoi, who played some club rugby for Taradale last year, will be on the Steamers subs bench. However Nemani and Fisiihoi are unlikely to be as big a threat to the Magpies shield tenure as the visitors' two key forwards captain and lock Culum Retallick and No 8 Carl Axtens.
Retallick, a cousin of All Black lock and former Magpie Brodie Retallick, is on the verge of 80 first class games for the Steamers. Axtens was a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning New Zealand under-20 team and was in the Chiefs wider training group this year.