JOHNNY WATTERSONtalks to former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan whose USA team were beaten by Canada in a World Cup qualifier at the weekend.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN’S USA Eagles side must go into a two match play-off against Uruguay to decide who fills the second slot for an American team in RWC 2011 with the possibility that the USA will finally end up in Ireland’s pool.

A win over two legs against the South American side would see O’Sullivan’s US team go into the 2011 event and placed along with Australia, Italy, Ireland and Europe 2 in Pool C.

That scenario would throw O’Sullivan up against the coach who took over from him in the Irish set-up, Declan Kidney, and against a team he coached in the last World Cup in France.

Having beaten Canada 12-6 in Charlestown on July 4th in the first of their two matches, the USA went down 41-18 in their second away Test at the weekend in Edmonton with the overall point aggregate from the two games favouring the Canadians by a 47-30 margin.

Canada now go into Pool A of the 2011 competition.

Largely amateur, the USA, who O’Sullivan officially took charge of just before the summer, made the second Test decidedly more difficult when they were reduced to just 14 men for most of the game.

A red card for outside centre, Paul Emerick, before the half-hour mark had even struck ensured it would be an uphill struggle throughout.

And it was as Canada ran in three tries in the first half and three more after the break.

“We are obviously very disappointed,” said O’Sullivan.

“We played undisciplined in the first half and made some mistakes on which Canada were able to capitalise.

“We let the game get away from us early on and struggled to keep shape. We played better in the second half but by that stage we were chasing things and forcing it a bit.”

The USA never really recovered from their slow start, which started on a frustrating note as the hosts played the wrong national anthem leaving the players singing God Save America on their own.

Things didn’t improve as Canada shot to a blistering start, reaping what they could of US indiscipline and lack of shape. They visitors quickly fell to 24 unanswered Canadian points and from that point on it was always going to be an unwanted chasing game.

Three tries, two of which came from American handling errors, ensured the 24-0 half-time score line and with Emerick back in the changing-room, the match was there only for Canada to lose.

But sensing a favourable result the Canadians pressed on. Although the USA hit them with two tries through left-wing Kevin Swiryn and openside flanker Todd Clever, Canada declined to sit back and clocked up the scores with a total of six tries, four conversions and a penalty to ensure the USA Eagles would have to go into another round of qualifying while they are sure of their place in 2011.

The USA dates with Uruguay have yet to be set.

If the Americans lose that match, they have another chance to qualify in the cross-continental final place play-off in 2010.