In recognition of his continued good form with club and country, Shaw was selected for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. This made him the oldest person to ever be selected and play for a British & Irish Lions team. In South Africa he was awarded his first Lions cap on his third tour when he was selected to start in the second test against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria and he put in one of the most outstanding performances by a British and Irish lock in a test match, with his performance subsequently earning him man of the match. During the third test in Johannesburg he was yellow-carded for dirty play when he knee-dropped Fourie du Preez. In 2004 he was red-carded for a similar offence against the All Blacks.