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Subscribe to RSS FeedMike wants Hercu-lean effort
US Eagles captain Mike Hercus
United States captain Mike Hercus admits he is "honoured" and "excited" by the prospect of mixing it with South Africa's finest in Montpellier on Sunday.
The Eagles' hopes of avoiding a World Cup whitewash plummeted on Friday when Springboks coach Jake White named a close to full-strength team for the final Pool A clash.
The US Eagles are odds-on to slip to a fourth successive defeat, but that is not stopping Hercus looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead against the tournament's second favourites
"We're excited to be pitting ourselves against the best teams in the world," said the fly-half, his country's all-time leading points scorer with 376.
"I'm honoured that South Africa have picked a strong team. They could have put out a B side.
"South Africa are a different animal to any of the sides we have played. They have a bit of everything."
The World Cup calendar has not helped the Americans' chances this tournament.
Their first two games - against England and Tonga - were played in the space of four days.
And then after a wait of two weeks they are being forced to play the Springboks four days after a tough clash against a fired-up Samoa side.
"It's been a long month, having had both sets of games four days apart. It makes it more difficult for us," admitted Hercus.
The US have not been blown away yet in this competition. They lost 10-28 to world champions England and then were narrow 15-25 losers to Tonga.
In both matches they started poorly and they did the same in midweek when they found themselves 3-22 down to Samoa at the interval.
They came up short (21-25) despite a gallant second-half fightback, and Thorburn will be desperate to see his team pick up where they left off in St Etienne.
