Billups expects USA to rise to occasion

USA coach Tom Billups is confident his part-time team will not be overawed by their appearance at the mighty Suncorp Stadium.

The spiritual home of Queensland rugby league plays host to its second World Cup game, three days after almost 47,000 turned out to watch France defeat a Fiji side who will also be America’s first opponents of the competition.

Although not quite that number are expected for tomorrow’s tussle, it is still a completely different environment to the one most of Billups’ players are used to.

Billups knows his men cannot afford to be affected if they are to make a winning start to their Pool B programme and is confident they will rise to the challenge.

“It is a pretty impressive stadium,” he admitted.

“For some of our players, who often play their club rugby in a park and change in the car, Suncorp Stadium is a great place.

“It is the chance of a lifetime for some of my boys and I am confident they will not let themselves down.”

The USA’s chances have been enhanced by the two-match ban imposed on flying Fiji winger Rupeni Caucau which rules him out until the crunch meeting with Scotland on November 1.

Fiji will still start heavy favourites though, having been able to call on a majority of professional players.

Coach Mac McCallion has made four changes from the side beaten by France with Vilimoni Delasau earning a reprieve because of Caucau’s unavailability after Marika Vunibaka had been earmarked for his wing berth.

Four British-based players have been named in the United States line-up. Llanelli flanker Dave Hodges will skipper the side, which also includes fellow back-row and new Leicester signing Dan Lyle.

“We have a handful of guys who are able to make a living playing rugby,” said Billups.

“We consider them to be very fortunate. We are still playing rugby in a pre-professional environment but hopefully we will use all of the hard-earned experience our forwards have to offer.

“They are comfortable in the big match arena and have the intelligence required for this type of contest.”