- England v USA, Rugby World Cup 2019 Pool C clash, kicks off at 11.45am BST on ITV
- Rugby World Cup 2019 predictor: Pick your winner | Our experts make their predictions
- How Jones rebuilt England: The inside story of 'scary Eddie's' battles to make his team World Cup contenders
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Robshaw reminds England about what they have to avoid
Before England get ahead of themselves and think about looking like potential World Cup winners, they have to get out of the group (victory against the USA is a must...) - something they failed to do on home soil four years ago.
Chris Robshaw, captain of that side, spoke openly and movingly to Kate Rowan about the personal consequences of England's World Cup woe in 2015.
"I turned into a recluse for a while, I didn’t want leave the house. It is still a scar I wear today - any time I talk or think about the World Cup, I feel the hurt. It will stay with me for life. I hope I can learn to get better coping with.”
The USA have the GOAT wishing them well
No, not Lionel Messi, that would be a big surprise and a bit weird...No, Tom Brady the New England Patriots quarterback (six Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVPs, we could go on, but you get the picture...) has wished the USA all the best of luck for their tough test against England.
Watch the whole video below to see gridiron's greatest get a bit giddy about rugby...
I told y’all I’d bring him around! @TomBrady #backtheboys @USARugbyPlayers @USARugby @rugbyworldcup #rugbyworldcup2019 #GoUSA
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What do England need to do to avoid a shock?
Well, according to our very own Will Greenwood George Ford and Co need to take the USA into the 'death zone'. Think Everest, being over 8,000 metres and suffering from a lack of oxygen...
Rather than me try to explain it, read Will's pre-match piece on what England need to do, not only to beat the USA but to lay down a marker for the rest of the tournament, here.
USA team news
There are six England-based players in the squad for this clash, the best known being Sale Sharks fly-half AJ MacGinty, one of only 10 players to have survived from the 2015 tournament.
Along with MacGinty Worcester Warriors' Joe Taufete'e plays at hooker, Saracens' Titi Lamositele stars at prop, Ben Landry of Ealing Trailfinders plays at lock and Harlequins' Paul Lasike lines up in the centres.
The side is captained by Blaine Scully who played 35 times for Leicester Tigers between 2013-15.
USA XV: Hooley; Scully (c), Brache, Lasike, Iosefo; MacGinty, Davies; Ainuu, Taufete'e, Lamositele, Landry, Civetta, Lamborn, Quill, Dolan
BENCH: Fawsitt, Kilifi, Mullen, Peterson, Germishuys, De Haas, Campbell, Te'o
Will there be a shock?
It will take a very optimistic USA fan to answer that one with 'yes'. But since Japan's memorable victory over South Africa four years ago every 'minnow' knows that the once-considered impossible is now possible.
That is at least what USA coach Gary Gold has told his men ahead of today's match.
"That game has changed the mindset of the underdog. We have nothing to lose as expectations on us are low, nobody gives us a chance, so that puts the pressure on England."
Read what else the USA coach has had to say here.
England team news
As you might expect against a side they are predicted to easily beat, Eddie Jones has made 10 changes to the XV that saw off Tonga. George Ford captains at fly-half with World Cup debuts for wingers Ruaridh McConnochie and Joe Cokanasiga and Piers Francis at centre.
ENGLAND XV: Daly, McConnochie, Joseph, Francis, Cokanasiga, Ford (c), Heinz; Marler, Cowan-Dickie, Cole, Launchbury, Kruis, Curry, Ludlam, B Vunipola.
BENCH: Singleton, Genge, Sinckler, Lawes, Wilson, Youngs, Farrell, Watson.
Good morning rugby fans!
In two hours' time England face the USA in their second Group C match. This comes just four days after their 35-5 opening win against Tonga.
There are two schools of thought regarding that victory. One, that it was a gritty we-did-what-we-had-to type win against tough opponents who on their day are capable of creating a shock. And two, that, despite it being the opening match of a long tournament against a more than capable side, England's error and penalty count, alongside the inability to finish the Pacific islanders off until well into the final quarter, doesn't bode well for the the side's chances come the knockout stages.
Wherever you stand on that debate there is little doubt that both England fans and the coaching team would like to see the side play with a bit more authority and, for want of a better term, calm than on Sunday. Eddie Jones' men gave away too many penalties, were too rushed, too edgy and the coach will doubtless have told the side to impose themselves and look more like possible tournament winners than they did against Tonga.
So who are the potential banana skins today? The USA are one of the world's best sides in sevens but are yet to really make a mark in XVs. They have played in all but one World Cup (1995, in case you were wondering) and are without a win since 2011 - they have three victories in 25 World Cup matches. However, the sport in the Gridiron-focused country is on the up. Major League Rugby (MLR) launched in in 2018, with seven teams, finally providing a professional stage for the full format to prosper.
The chances of an upset are slim, but after yesterday's shock win for Uruguay over Fiji and, more pertinently, Japan's victory over South Africa four years ago anything can happen. Stay here for all the build up, team news and some pre-match reading...
5522...@PLB
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