Alex Goff analyzes the USA's World Cup opener against Ireland.

The USA team has not held back much in preparation for Sunday’s clash with Ireland in New Plymouth.

There was no discussion of benching a player or two to rest for Russia. If that happened to anyone, it was Chris Wyles, and that was related in part to his injury.

Every other selection choice has been on form. Roland Suniula, somewhat more of a running flyhalf then Nese Malifa (but not by much), has been selected ahead of the man who has been the regular #10 for two seasons now.

That selection choice seemed almost inevitable, given how Malifa is still a bit beat up from the past couple of years, and how the USA offense has struggled.

Whether Suniula, partnering with his older brother, Andrew, who plays inside center, can turn pressure into points is yet to be seen. It wasn’t Nese Malifa’s signature on the game plan, and Malifa wasn’t the one absent in support.

Mike Petri is confirmed the #1 scrumhalf, and there are few surprises elsewhere. Certainly one could argue for hard-running Mate Moeakiola over the grittier Mike MacDonald, but in the wind, rain and slop promised at Taranaki Stadium, Big Mac looks to be the right call.

Scott LaValla might feel hard-done by to be on the bench, but it is very close between him and John van der Giessen.

On recent form, the back row selects itself, as does center Paul Emerick, wing Taku Ngwenya (who looked bright-eyes and poised to strike during the captain’s run) and Blaine Scully.

The remaining question is left wing. Kevin Swiryn is dropped, for now, on form, with James Paterson your man in #11. Paterson also looks to be the goalkicker against Ireland.

Swiryn is not even on the bench, as Colin Hawley gets the nod. He is picked in part because the Eagles have versatility at center – should a center go down, Roland Suniula or Paterson can slot in. Therefore Hawley, primarily a wing/fullback, is chosen mainly for his dependable defense.

The other bench choice of note is that of Pat Danahy. In serious danger of being left home, Danahy was superb against Japan and has simply forced Eddie O’Sullivan to pick him. As a late-game impact sub he has emerged as a weapon.

Now to the game. The USA has to be almost perfect to win this game. They can’t afford to knock the ball on. They can’t afford to miss tackles. They can’t afford to let penalties in the Irish zone go unpunished.

They also have to unleash the dogs of war on defense. They are expected to try to take space away from the Irish and put them under pressure.

Ireland’s relatively inexperienced halfback combo will almost certainly be targeted.

But as these honeyed words are being written, a sou’wester of some intensity is bettering Taranaki Province. This game might well be played on a surface that is less lush, soft grass and more swamp-like. Stadium Taranaki’s grass is beautiful, but on the captain’s run on Saturday the Eagles concluded they needed their longest cleats for the match. After this morning’s deluge, perhaps some stilts will be in order.

This won’t, then, be a dry-pitch runaway. It could be a muddy slugfest. It will be, wet or dry, intense.

During pre-World Cup camp in Australia, Canada's Rugby World Cup captain Pat Riordan sat down with a video production crew to answer a series of questions framed around the world's third-largest sports fixture.

Riordan's responses to the following questions will be used as a RWC Captain's Video package to precede Canada's pool matches in New Zealand.

The captain with 39 caps to his name has been at the helm of his nation's senior men's rugby team since 2008, when former All Black Kieran Crowley was appointed head coach of the side.

Known as Pat 'one take' Riordan for his deft responses and ability to knock out a film shoot in one hit, Riordan answered the questions with candid honesty and respect for the tournament and his team's upcoming opponents.

If you aren't attending Canada's Rugby World Cup pool matches, here's a peak at some of the questions posed and the answers given.

What are your strengths as a team?
"I think our team's got a couple of different strengths, probably our forward play which is something if you'd ask me a year ago it wouldn't have been quite a strength of ours. Our other strength we've really come up with in the last six months is scoring opportunistic tries."

Who are the danger teams in your pool?
"They're all danger teams and that's a bit of a cliched answer in sports, but for us if we look beyond any team we've got a real danger of hitting a banana peel there."

Who will be the team to beat at the Rugby World Cup?
"Well that's a tough one, I've been asked that question a couple of times and I said 'who's going to win the tournament is whoever scores more points in the final, it's as simple as that.'"

What advice would you give to a young player at his first Rugby World Cup?
"Really take control of your own destiny. It's pretty easy to just let things happen, you've really just got to take control."

Have you ever been to New Zealand and what do you think of the country?
"I've been lucky enough to be to New Zealand three times... It's fantastic, I really enjoyed it. I find there's a lot of similarities to Canada, especially the West coast."

What message do you have to your supporters?
"Looking up when you think you're all alone in Georgia or on the Gold Coast and you look up and you see these flags and you see these hockey jerseys in the crowd, it's fantastic. Just a big thanks."