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Ireland and the USA face off in the first game of the Rugby World Cup 2011 for both teams. Join us at 4.00pm for the live blog and feel free to contribute comments as the game moves along.
The Irish are certainly not fancied at this World Cup, with some predicting that Italy could advance at their expense. Their year to date has been poor.
The USA though are truly in the early stages of their development, so they are not expected to post a threat.
Ireland have lost four straight games in the warm-ups. Their side is the oldest in the competition, though of course that brings with it a wealth of experience.
The main feature of selection for the Irish is Jonathon Sexton at 10 and his partnership with the unknown scrum half Conor Murray.
In 12 months he has gone from barely being part of his club professional squad to starting the opening world cup match for his country. It is a simply astonishing rise.
Ireland need to use this match to lift their standards and their flagging spirits. They need a boost before tackling Australia and Italy.
USA meanwhile will be keen for a strong showing against a more established rugby nation.
The Eagles will enter this match with a game plan they want to develop against strong opposition to hopefully set themselves up for victories against Russia and possibly Italy.
However in light of Romania taking Scotland so close to the wire on the second day of the cup you can’t say for sure that USA don’t have a chance at making this competitive.
The most important player for the USA Eagles is flanker and Captain Todd Clever. He is the class of their side. His professional achievements include a couple of seasons on the starting side for the Lions in Super Rugby. He will want to lead from the front and inspire his side to its maximum performance.
Ireland enters this match in very poor form and will want to use this game against one of the easier opponents in their pool to play themselves into some sort of form.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.