The Eagles to face Australia on Friday evening in Wellington. Here are the teams:

15. Blaine Scully  14. Colin Hawley 13. Tai Enosa 12. Junior Sifa11. Kevin Swiryn 10. Nese Malifa 9. Tim Usasz (Captain) 8. JJ Gagiano7. Patrick Danahy 6. Inaki Basauri 5. Hayden Smith 4. Scott LaValla 3. Eric Fry
2. Phil Thiel 1. Shawn Pittman

Reserves 16. Brian McClenahan 17. Mate Moeakiola 18. Louis Stanfill 19. Nic Johnson 20. Mike Petri 21. Roland Suniula 22. Chris Wyles

Australia’s Line Up

15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs) 14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies) 13. Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds) 12. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs) 11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs) 10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds) 9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds, captain) 8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs) 7. Ben McCalman (Western Force) 6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies) 5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force) 4. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds) 3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies) 2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs) 1. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)

Run on Reserves: 16. Stephen Moore (Brumbies) 17. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs) 18. Dan Vickerman (NSW Waratahs) 19. Radike Samo (Queensland Reds) 20. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs) 21. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs) 22. Pat McCabe (Brumbies)

Australia v United States – Historical Notes

• This is the seventh match between teams representing Australia and the United States of America, with Australia having been successful on all six previous occasions dating back to a 12-8 success in the inaugural match at Berkeley, California, in 1912.
•  A gap of 64 years spanned the first two Test matches between Australia and the United States, with the second Test between the countries not until 1976 when the Wallaby tourists, who were returning home from a disappointing tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland which saw just one of the four Tests won, beat the United States 24-12 at Anaheim in California.
• That match was the first ‘Test’ played by the United States against anybody in 52 years, with the national team having been mothballed after rugby had been removed from the Olympic Sports roster following the 1924 Olympic Games.
• 15-aside Rugby has featured just twice at the Olympics, and the United States won both of the gold medals, beating France in 1920 and again in 1924. Just France and the United States competed in 1920, while Romania was also included at the 1924 Games. Rugby returns to the Olympic fold in 2016 when Rugby Sevens makes its debut at the Rio de Janero Games in Brazil.
• Australia and the United States have met on two previous occasions at Rugby World Cups, with Australia winning 47-12 in Brisbane at the inaugural tournament in 1987, and 55-19 at Limerick, Ireland, 12 years later.
• American centre, Juan Grobler, who scored the Eagles’ try against Australia in 1999, was the only opposition player to successfully cross the Wallabies’ goal-line during Australia’s run to the title at that tournament.
•  The Australian goal-line is intact to date at the 2011 tournament, with neither Italy nor Ireland posting a try against Australia during the Wallabies’ opening two matches.
• The United States warmed up for Friday’s match with a 13-6 success over Russia in New Plymouth, which followed a 10-22 loss to Ireland first up. The win over Russia was just the USA’s third from 19 tournament matches at Rugby World Cup, with the previous wins having been achieved against Japan in 1987 and again in 2003. Both of those wins were achieved on Australian soil.
• The United States has contested six of the seven Rugby World Cups to have been held to date, only missing out on the 1995 event in South Africa when the Eagles failed to qualify.
• Eagles coach Eddie O’Sullivan previously faced Australia as Irish coach at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.