Canada have traditionally been the strongest side in north America but Thorburn insists the USA is a sleeping giant that is already beginning to wake from its slumber.

``There will be professional rugby in the States - that's what our chief executive Nigel Melville and the board are working on,'' he said.

``Money is being poured into colleges and high schools. There are 300million people living in the US and they love physicality in their sport, so rugby is ideal for them.

``Once we produce a group kids coming through at 16, 17, 18, 19, we'll have a number of experienced players who know the game to tap into at senior level.
 
``I'm not sure you can teach a lot in a short period of time to people who have never played the game before.

``So much is instinctive and part of your database from learning the game over the years, so we need to be patient.

``But just in the last year there has been a remarkable improvement - we're already 50-60% better than at that same time last season.

``Last season during the pool stages we would have been beaten by 40 points by Scotland and England would have put a 100 on us, but instead we lost 13-9 and 51-3.

``It sounds like a feeble excuse but it's amateurs against professionals at the moment. We had only four professionals playing against Scotland.

``We have seven professionals in total, so we're always going to be up against it in a competition like the Churchill Cup.``.

Former Saracens scrum-half Morgan Williams, who now plays for Albi in France, has been named Canada skipper as coach Ric Suggitt plots victory in tomorrow's opening final at Twickenham.

Two players have returned from French league action with Agen lock Colin Yukes and Bezier back row Sean-Micheal Stephen beefing up the pack after missing the two pool games.

``We're glad to have Colin back from his club game in France. He has lots of experience and a very high work rate and will add a great deal to the pack,'' said Suggitt.

Justin Mensah-Coker is selected on the right wing after helping Albi to a 29-0 end of season win last weekend - a result that keep the club in the French Top 14.

Canada triumphed 56-7 over the USA when the teams last met in Newfoundland last August but contests between the two have generally been very close.

Since the northern American rivals met in their first international in 1977, Canada has accumulated 28 wins, the USA 12 with one match drawn.