Scotland’s Hardie ruled out of United States game due to head injury

But with the Scots short on cover in the loose forwards, versatile hooker Fraser Brown has been forced to give up his starting slot in order to act as back-row back-up on the bench, with Ross Ford recalled to start.

Kevin Bryce also comes into the matchday squad to take the replacement hooker role vacated by Ford.

The starting side features all eight of the players who started on the bench against Japan. We’re constantly about improving, we said from the first warm-up game against Ireland we need to get better in the next game and nothing has changed.

Hines believes this is not necessarily a bad thing given the physical threat posed by a US Eagles side which overpowered Japan just two months ago. This is different form managing the team which would have been in line with some established frame and settle for three points and a draw. The guys know it’s big.

He said: “We know they want to get out to a fast start; they wouldn’t want the game to drag on into the late stages and to have to slug it out for 80 minutes”. “I hope they don’t wake up for a while”, he joked.

But Horne believes there’s no shortage of motivating factors when they take to the pitch tomorrow afternoon.

Victory at Elland Road for Mike Tolkin’s squad would provide Pool B with its second major upset following Japan’s stunning win over South Africa last week.

“So to get the five tries was excellent”.

“Japan beating South Africa has given every team that is lower down in the rankings a boost”, said Hines. We’re fully focused on trying to put in a good performance in two days’ time. Cotter’s credo has been all about precision, about playing a high-tempo game while also keeping mistakes to a minimum. If Scotland can do that then a bonus point win is a possibility.

They’ve always made the small rugby nation watch in awe with their stepping and running skills.

So, we work with the accommodation team and the logistics team which looks after the freight and movement of all the teams’ kit from their country into the UK. “Potential counts for nothing”.

Will Scotland play differently against the USA?

Australia fans celebrate at the end of the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Australia and Fiji at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wednesday, September 23, 2015.

“John has been great for us”, said the Perpignan forward. When people who don’t usually follow rugby come up to you and talk about then it sinks in just what a huge occasion this is. But when we went into Gloucester for our arrival ceremony everybody seemed to be behind us. We might not have a lot of rugby experience, but colleagues have worked on the London Olympics and other Olympics, summer and victor, from Commonwealth Games to football World Cups, and Formula 1… you name a sport and an event, and I guarantee you someone in the office has worked at it.