McDonald is used to fighting against the odds

AMERICAN debutante Mike McDonald insists he isn’t fazed at the prospect of propping down against John Hayes tomorrow at Lansdowne Road (1pm) - he’s used to fighting against the odds.

“We have to fight for recognition because rugby is not really a revenue sport in the US. It’s a game that’s trying to make its way into the national culture.”

Even a stirring performance against France this summer (France won 39-31 and the USA scored five tries) didn’t make a huge impact in PR terms.

“We have a well structured game, we’re tough and we hope to make that point against Ireland.”

McDonald is still a student at UCLA, but hopes to pursue a career in rugby, and perhaps a contract in Britain, Ireland or Italy.

US Eagles coach Tom Billup has made four changes, one of them positional for tomorrow’s game: lock Alec Parker, blind side flanker Brian Surgener, and right wing Al Lakomskis come into team, while Kort Schubert shifts to number eight from flanker. Nine of 15 starters are past or present Collegiate All-Americans. The USA’s leading development side visited Ireland in 2001, and five of that group have progressed to tomorrow’s test XV. They are Surgener, Schubert, prop MacDonald, hooker Matt Wyatt, and centre Paul Emerick.

“Our boys increasingly have high-performance backgrounds, and we’re here in Ireland as rugby men. We’re amateur in economic fact and professional in every other respect,” Billups said in announcing the team.

Schubert captains for the seventh time. The 25-year-old Cardiff Blues player is the only player to remain from the two sides’ last meeting in 2000 resulting in an Irish rout in Manchester, New Hampshire.

He is joined in the back row by Surgener and openside Tony Petruzzella, MVP of the All-Americans’ 2004 visit to Canada.

The lock pairing is Parker and Gerhard Klerck. Parker, now with 40 caps, is one of two players who appeared at the 1999 World Cup, the other being reserve flanker Fifita Mo’unga.

The props are MacDonald and Jacob Waasdorp, who played at Trinity College in 2002.

The half-backs are Mose Timoteo and Mike Hercus, highly rated by Irish coach Eddie O’Sullivan, who is now closing in on the American points scoring record. Hercus, with 21 internationals to his name, stands at 269 and needs 18 points to set a new mark.

The centres, Salesi Sika and Emerick, who played full-back at the 2003 World Cup are also highly rated, while wingers David Fee and Lakomskis are well capable of stretching the Irish defence.

US Eagles (v Ireland): F. Viljoen; A. Lakomskis, P. Emerick, S. Sika, D. Fee; M. Hercus, M. Timoteo; M. MacDonald, M. Wyatt, J. Waasdorp, A. Parker, G. Klerck, B. Surgener, T. Petruzzella, K. Schubert (captain).

Replacements: M. Hobson, C. Osentowski, J. Gouws, F. Mo’unga, D. Williams, M. Sherman, A. Tuipulotu.