Good morning, and welcome to our coverage of a clash that's already been dubbed the Cold War match, it says here. Didn't the Cold War end 20 years ago? It's almost as irrelevant as the USA's 41-11 win in Tokyo in 2004.

Since then, the USA have registered a 39-22 win in 2010, and added a 32-25 victory earlier this year. Russia are the underdogs as they make their World Cup debut, for sure, and currently have the fear, if their team director Kingsley Jones is to be believed. "A bit of anxiety is a good thing. These guys are champing at the bit at the moment. I'd much prefer that than wrapping themselves in cotton wool."

As for the Americans, coming off the back of their 22-10 defeat to Ireland? "The game is over, done, out of the rear-view mirror," says their coach Eddie O'Sullivan. "We have to get our laser focus back. We need to decompress." Been hanging around the management and leadership section of Barnes & Noble, have we?

Russia: 15-Igor Klyuchnikov; 14-Vladimir Ostroushko, 13-Konstantin Rachkov, 12-Alexey Makovetskiy, 11-Vasily Artemyev, 10-Yury Kushnarev, 9-Alexander Shakirov; 8-Vyacheslav Grachev, 7-Artem Fatakhov, 6-Andrey Garbuzov, 5-Denis Antonov, 4-Alexander Voytov, 3-Ivan Prishchepenko, 2-Vladislav Korshunov (captain), 1-Sergey Popov.

Replacements: 16-Valery Tsnobiladze, 17-Alexander Khrokin, 18-Vladimir Botvinnikov, 19-Adam Byrnes, 20-Victor Gresev, 21-Alexander Yanyushkin, 22-Andrey Kuzin.

USA: 15-Chris Wyles; 14-Takudzwa Ngwenya, 13-Paul Emerick, 12-Andrew Suniula, 11-James Paterson, 10-Roland Suniula, 9-Mike Petri; 8-Nic Johnson, 7-Todd Clever (captain), 6-Louis Stanfill, 5-Hayden Smith, 4-John van der Giessen, 3-Matekitonga Moeakiola, 2-Chris Biller, 1-Mike MacDonald.

Replacements: 16-Phil Thiel, 17-Shawn Pittman, 18-Scott LaValla, 19-Pat Danahy, 20-Tim Usasz, 21-Nese Malifa, 22-Blaine Scully.

Referee: Dave Pearson (England)

Stadium: Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth.

Kick off: 8.30am BST.

The teams are out. There's a bloke on the pitch playing some frestyle jazz on a large bassoon, in scenes reminiscent of Mulligan and O'Hare's interpretation of Another Day In Paradise. Wonderful. More of this, please. And then it's time for the anthems. A nice understated version of the Star Spangled Banner. Yes, it can be done. And then Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii, which bombs along at a fair old lick. All together now: Славься, Отечество наше свободное, Братских народов союз вековой, Предками данная мудрость народная! Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!

The USA are playing in: Blue.

Russia are playing in: RED.

And we're off! Russia get this baby underway. Within 20 seconds, the Russians have charged down a Mike Petri kick in the USA 22, and they're on the attack, bombing towards the line! For a second, it looks like they'll get over for the most spectacular of starts, Artem Fatakhov nearly bombing through after 30 seconds, but he's held up and can't get the ball wide left, where there are spare men. But Russia will get a penalty out of this, saucy American hands getting in the road as the Reds attempt to begin a new phase.

3 min: PENALTY. Russia 3-0 USA. The kick is just to the left of the posts, and Yury Kushnarev makes no mistake. No Jonny Wilkinson he. What a start by the Russians. Nervous? Nah.

5 min: The States string a few passes together in Russian territory, first probing down the right wing, then spraying a couple of raking passes left. Paul Emerick nearly breaks down that wing, but he's held up and the momentum is gone.

8 min: The Americans have responded well to their early setback, and are throwing the ball around nicely. But the Russians aren't giving up too much ground, hitting their opponents with a few big ones. Louis Stanfill takes exception to having his shorts pulled down in the true comedy style, and squares up to a couple of Reds. He's told to calm down by the referee. The States, meanwhile, are penalised for coming in at the side. Kushnarev takes another punt at goal, but this one's well out wide on the left, near the halfway line, and out of his range. The effort dies in front of the posts, but it was dead on target; he knows his range now, and won't be totally unhappy with that.

12 min: PENALTY. Russia 3-3 USA. America are looking dangerous enough down their left wing. John van der Glessen sprays one out to that side, where Emerick and Chris Wyles look to break quickly into Russian territory. Wyles nearly scoots clear, but he's dragged down. Soon enough, it's Russia's turn to be penalised for a handling error, and Wyles strokes a kick between the sticks from a central position, 30-odd yards out.

15 min: Vladimir Ostroushko takes a massive US garryowen and launches an immediate counter attack, tearing straight down the middle. Russia manage to work the ball out right, where Vasily Artemyev nearly releases Konstantin Rachkov down the wing with a clever chip. But the Americans are over to cover, and the danger is gone. "Eddie didn't need Barnes & Noble," writes Robert Lowery, "as based on his interviews while over Ireland he had cleaned out Easons, the Irish book chain. No man has as many ducks lined up in a row. Though based on some other notables like Declan Kidney, I suspect it reflects the affection of the Irish middle-management man in a suit for the game. At least football cliches don't sound like an afternoon course in people management in a motorway hotel conference room."

19 min: CONVERTED TRY! Russia 3-10 USA. Out of nothing, the Americans burst down the left, Wyles throwing a pass inside to Roland Suniula, who cuts further inside and flicks the ball to Mike Petri, tearing straight down the middle. Petri's got just enough space to burst through the Russian defence and reach the line, upon which he plonks the ball down. Wyles can't miss the conversion, and doesn't.

21 min: Russia have two chances to launch dangerous counter attacks, first with men free on the right, then with folk down the left. But both times they're ponderous in the middle, taking an age to decide where to fling the first pass.

23 min: More nonsense on the floor from Russia, and it's another penalty to the US. It's near the halfway line out on the right, and out of range for Wyles, who Wilkinsons it short and left.

26 min: Todd Clever goes on an NFL style sortie down the right, Hayden Smith offloading brilliantly as he falls. Clever is held up, but the pressure is beginning to tell on Russia, and after a couple of phases, their front row collapses in a scrum. Instead of kicking the penalty, the US go for the kill, kicking for the corner. Having sniffed blood, can they get over for a try?

29 min: No, is the answer to that. After 11 phases of ponderous play at the breakdown, the ball's knocked on. Russia immediately gift the States the ball back, but again the US snooze when trying to set up a new phase, and the Russians snaffle the ball away with a determined counter-ruck. After you. No, after you. This is polite rugby.

31 min: It's surely just a matter of time before the US trouble the scoreboard again, though. Almost the entire game is being played out in the Russian 22. Here's another intense period of pressure. Will anything come of this?

33 min: No, although the States should have another three points on the board. Denis Antonov holds onto Wyles on the floor; penalty. Wyles gets up and shanks a dreadful effort wide right of the posts. That was awful.

35 min: Takudzwa Ngwenya sashays at high speed down the right, but can't quite break free of his Russian tormentors. He eventually drops the ball in the gently amusing bar-of-soap style while being weakly tackled. It's not the highest quality game, this, but diverting enough.

37 min: Emerick attempts to release Ngwenya down his wing with a clever reverse pass, but the winger rat-a-tats the ball forward, and the chance to scamper clear is gone.

38 min: Blaine Scully replaces James Paterson, who runs off clutching his ribs.

39 min: More running repairs for the States: Matekitonga Moeakiola has a nasty cut above the eye, and is replaced by Shawn Pittman.

HALF TIME: USA 10-3 Russia. A late drive towards the US tryline, as Russia end the half as they started it. But the ball's ripped from their grasp, and Ngwenya suddenly looks like zipping dangerously up the right from deep. But he meanders into touch, and that's that for the half.

Half-time weather report: It's raining. A lot.

And the teams are out again! What a tempest. It is lashing down all of a sudden. These difficult handling conditions could play out to Russia's advantage, the USA usually of a mind to fling the ball around.

43 min: Ah hold on, the rain's stopped. A fairly bitty start to the half otherwise.

45 min: From the centre, Kushnarev chips down the left, a teaser for Igor Klychnikov to chase after. He can't quite make it to the ball as it skids over the tryline, Ngwenya getting to it first.

48 min: Vladimir Ostroushko is taken down and held on the floor wide on the right, near the halfway line. Yury Kushnarev gives the penalty a rare old belt, and it would have reached despite being an ambitious attempt, but the ball drifts wide left of the posts. Thing is, there's little point kicking for position, as the Russian line out is so inept they're extremely unlikely to get the ball.

52 min: The US attempt to string a few passes together, but it's all a bit cramped out there. Eventually, despite Wyles doing his best to switch play this way and that, a gaggle of blue-shirted players run into each other, a few red shirts pile on, and what looked like turning into a rare phase of expansive rugby turns into a multi-coloured mush.

54 min: Wyles takes a massive up-and-under and bombs down the middle. He chips the ball wide right, forcing Igor Klyuchnikov to claim the ball and slide out of play. From the line out, the US ship the ball into the centre. After a couple of forwards take turns to buy a few yards by getting their heads down and driving forward, Wyles tries to release Emerick with a grubber kick. The move doesn't come off. The ball comes clanking back to the Americans for another phase.

57 min: A slalom straight down the centre by Andrew Suniula nearly ends in a try, but he's held up just in front of the posts. That was marvellous, though. Russia dig in to stem the tide, but yet again the ball's coming straight back at them. Eventually another handling error results in a penalty, 30 yards out to the right of the sticks, but Wyles' kick comes back off the right-hand upright. Unbelievably, after that period of pressure, we're as we were.

60 min: A couple of changes for Russia: Adam Byrnes and Alexander Yanyushkin come on for Denis Antonov and Artem Fatakhov.

62 min: Yet again, Russia hold up the US, slowing the ball almost to a standstill in the breakdown. America shift the ball back to Wyles in the pocket, but his attempt at a drop goal from not much more than 25 yards drifts wide right. The kicking has been pretty poor here, all in all. Not a particularly free-flowing game. It's like watching England play England.

65 min: PENALTY. Russia 3-13 USA. Another handling error in the breakdown. Wyles can't miss this one, it's right in front of the sticks, and he doesn't.

67 min: Ngwenya's handling is awful. He's got an easy Alexander Shakirov kick down the Russian left to deal with, but manages to knock it on. That was such a simple take. It could only have been more embarrassing if he'd let it clank off his teeth. The error gives Russia good field position: the ball's swung out right to Artemyev, but he can't break free, cutting inside, then offloading the ball, which is quickly knocked forward. That was poor from the USA, though, inviting needless pressure onto themselves.

70 min: The US captain Todd Clever, an Andy Carroll lookalike, shows his leadership qualities by trying to stick the nut on Adam Byrnes. The minor brouhaha occurs after Clever is penalised for holding. The game's been played out in a good spirit, though, so all that's doled out is a talking to. Russia will have a penalty from just outside the 22, dead centre. Yury Kushnarev's got to make that.

72 min: But he doesn't. Oh dear. With Russia two scores behind, and time running out, that was a crucial miss.

74 min: Russia are doing their best to pile the pressure on, though. A penalty is kicked right into the corner. What field position! But dearie me, this Russian lineout is beyond useless. Vladislav Korshunov wafts the ball back into play, straight into the arms of John van der Giessen. There goes that danger!

76 min: This is becoming embarrassing for Kushnarev. Another penalty to Russia, another chance to kick to the corner. This one shanks off his boot, though, and sails straight down the pitch and away behind the tryline.

77 min: PENALTY. Russia 6-13 USA. The Americans are giving away a penalty a minute, handling error after handling error. It's another penalty in the centre of the American half, this time 35 yards out. Russia, perhaps wisely, change their kicker, Konstantin Rachkov taking a whack this time. And he skelps a decent effort just inside the right-hand post. This isn't over yet!

79 min: Victor Gresev goes on a determined run down the left, the volume in the stadium rising accordingly. He throws the ball inside, and is hit late by a shoulder charge from Clever. It should be a yellow card, but isn't. Russia set their scrum just outside the 22; they need a try. One last push for the Russians. Can they complete a dramatic comeback?

FULL TIME: Russia 6-13 USA. Nope. The ball's knocked forward, and that's that. The Americans celebrate, the Russians sink to their knees. That was a tough battle: not a whole lot out there in terms of quality, but a real effort by the underdog Russians, who pushed the USA all the way.