Team Guide: USA

Colours: Blue shirt, white shorts.

Nickname: Eagles.

World ranking: 18.

Coach: Eddie O’Sullivan.

When O’Sullivan was appointed the Eagles’ head coach in March 2009, it marked a return to the USA for the Irishman, as he had previously served as assistant coach and technical director to USA Rugby from 1997 to 1999. In between, he coached Ireland to three Six Nations Triple Crowns.

BACKS Born Caps Tries Cons Pens DGs Pts

Paul Emerick 24/1/80 44 14 0 0 0 70

Tai Enosa 3/6/89 5 1 1 0 0 7

Colin Hawley 10/4/87 4 1 0 0 0 5

Nese Malifa 10/9/85 20 0 16 10 1 65

Taku Ngwenya 22/7/85 19 8 0 0 0 40

James Paterson 11/4/87 1 0 0 0 0 0

Mike Petri 16/8/84 22 1 0 0 0 5

Blaine Scully 29/2/88 4 1 0 0 0 5

Junior Sifa 24/3/83 7 1 0 0 0 5

Andrew Suniula 29/9/87 9 2 0 0 0 10

Roland Suniula 17/12/86 8 1 0 0 0 5

Kevin Swiryn 16/12/84 12 6 0 0 0 30

Tim Usasz 21/6/83 15 2 0 0 0 10

Chris Wyles 13/9/83 23 5 0 0 1 28

FORWARDS

Inaki Basauri 1/10/84 11 0 0 0 0 0

Chris Biller 11/10/85 13 0 0 0 0 0

Todd Clever 16/1/83 37 11 0 0 0 55

Pat Danahy 7/3/85 5 1 0 0 0 5

Eric Fry 14/10/86 5 0 0 0 0 0

JJ Gagiano 14/8/85 13 1 0 0 0 5

Nic Johnson 4/10/89 14 0 0 0 0 0

Scott Lavalla 4/7/88 6 0 0 0 0 0

Mike MacDonald 27/11/80 62 6 0 0 0 30

Brian McClenahan 12/6/82 2 0 0 0 0 0

Mate Moeakiola 16/5/78 23 1 0 0 0 5

Shawn Pittman 22/1/88 13 0 0 0 0 0

Hayden Smith 10/4/85 14 0 0 0 0 0

Louis Stanfill 30/5/85 26 3 0 0 0 15

Phil Thiel 29/10/84 9 0 0 0 0 0

John van der Giessen 6/5/82 18 1 0 0 0 5

Key player: Todd Clever.

The Eagles’ captain and number eight (pictured making tackle) leads by example, and has scored a number of important tries on the international stage. The first American to play in the Super 14 competition, with the South African Lions, he now plies his trade for Suntory in Japan.

13/11/10 v Portugal (Lisbon) W 22-17

27/11/10 v Georgia (Tbilisi) L 17-19

8/6/11 v Tonga (Esher, England) L 13-44

18/6/11 v Russia (Worcester, England) W 32-25

6/8/11 v Canada (Toronto) L 22-28

13/8/11 v Canada (Glendale, Colorado) L 7-27

21/8/11 v Japan (Tokyo) L 14-20

Group stage: 1987, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007.

Did not qualify: 1995.

Record: P17, W2, D0, L15.

Most appearances: Alec Parker 10.

Most points: Mike Hercus 77.

Most tries: Ray Nelson, Kort Schubert 3.

There have been two highs for the USA at the World Cup – in 1987 and 2003, when they beat Japan for their only wins in the finals. The latter victory was more memorable, as it was by a comfortable 39-26 margin, whereas their other success was a narrow 21-18 affair.

1995, when they failed to qualify for the tournament for the one and only time, after being beaten twice by Argentina in the qualifying rounds.

Hero: Mike Hercus.

The Eagles’ record World Cup points-scorer ensured their best-ever tally at the tournament in 2003 with 51 of their 86 points from two tries, seven conversions and nine penalties.

Villain: Joel Jutge.

The USA will argue they were penalised out of the game by the French referee in their 2003 pool B encounter with Fiji in Brisbane and so denied third place in the group. Despite scoring two tries to one, the Eagles succumbed 19-18, with Nicky Little kicking four penalties for the Fijians.

USA head coach Eddie O’Sullivan will be looking forward with particular relish to the Eagles’ opener against Ireland, having coached many of the Irish team. However, their only chance of a victory looks to be against Russia, whom they beat in the recent Churchill Cup.

11/9/11 v Ireland (New Plymouth)

15/9/11 v Russia (New Plymouth)

23/9/11 v Australia (Wellington)

27/9/11 v Italy (Nelson)