24 years in 140 characters: Celebrate drop goals as if planting the flag on Iwo Jima – it's to do with the absence of genuine hope. Did beat Japan in 87 and 03, though.
World Cup record: 1987: Pool Stages
1991: Pool Stages
1995: Did not qualify
1999: Pool Stages
2003: Pool Stages
2007: Pool Stages
Record in 2011: P5 W1 L4
Coach: Eddie O'Sullivan
Captain: Todd Clever
How are they likely to get on? The alarm bells will have gone off when a muscular Japanese side beat the USA last month. With rugby having finally become an Olympic sport again, the reigning Olympic champions (from 1924) need a decent World Cup to keep up the momentum and lure the kids.
Key player: The Biarritz wing Takudzwa Ngwenya was a star of 2007, when he showed South Africa's Bryan Habana a clean pair of heals for a memorable try.
Commentator's kit: Mate Moeakiola, the Eagles prop who scored a try in a creditable 28-10 defeat by England in 2007, did so while representing the splendidly named Utah club Park City Haggis. Sadly, he now plays in France, for Bobigny 93.
Squad
Eric Fry, prop, age 24, caps 5
Mike MacDonald, prop, age 30, caps 62
Mate Moeakiola, prop, age 33, caps 23
Shawn Pittman, prop, age 23, caps 13
Chris Biller, hooker, age 25, caps 13
Brian McClenahan, hooker, age 29, caps 2
Phil Thiel, hooker, age 26, caps 9
Scott LaValla, second-row, age 23, caps 6
Hayden Smith, second-row, age 26, caps 14
John van der Giessen, second-row, age 29, caps 18
Inaki Basauri, flanker, age 26, caps 11
Todd Clever (c), flanker, age 28, caps 37
Pat Danahy, flanker, age 26, caps 5
Louis Stanfill, flanker, age 26, caps 26
JJ Gagiano, No8, age 26, caps 13
Nic Johnson, No8, age 21, caps 13
Mike Petri, scrum-half, age 27, caps 22
Tim Usasz, scrum-half, age 28, caps 15
Tai Enosa, centre, age 22, caps 5
Nese Malifa, fly-half, age 25, caps 20
Roland Suniula, fly-half, age 24, caps 8
Paul Emerick, centre, age 31, caps 44
Junior Sifa, centre, age 28, caps 7
Andrew Suniula, centre, age 28, caps 9
Colin Hawley, wing, age 24, caps 4
Takudzwa Ngwenya, wing, age 26, caps 19
James Paterson, wing, age 24, caps 1
Kevin Swiryn, wing, age 26, caps 12
Blaine Scully, full-back, age 23, caps 4
Chris Wyles, full-back, age 27, caps 23
Average age 26.1
Average caps 15.4
