For USA Eagles coach Mike Tolkin, whose side plays the Wallabies on Saturday, his hope and vision for American rugby goes beyond trying to make the quarter-finals in the World Cup that starts September 18.
Tolkin, the Eagles' coach since February 2012, longs for the day the United States hosts the World Cup.
"I would love to see America get into the next round of the World Cup," says Tolkin, 47 who has lived and breathed US rugby for 30 years. "And I would love to see us host the World Cup. Those are some dreams of mine and for American rugby."
Tolkin believes the US has shown it is up for hosting major international sporting events, from the winter and summer Olympic Games to the FIFA World Cup in 1994.
"I think so," he says. "We would probably have to make sure some of our bigger venues have the width and surface necessary. But the World Cup in soccer … when we held it, it was fantastic, a great success.
"Americans love sporting events. If you marketed it well I think you can have a really good one. It will come at some point."
For now, Tolkin has enough on his plate preparing the Eagles for the World Cup.
Even more pressing, there is Saturday's Test in Chicago between the world No.2-ranked Wallabies and his 16th-ranked Eagles – two sides that are facing each other for the first time since their 2011 World Cup pool game which was won by Australia 67-5.
The sense of occasion for Saturday's Test is huge for Tolkin. The game is to be played before an expected capacity 61,500-crowd at Soldier Field. The venue opened as Municipal Grant Park Stadium in October 1924, but in November 1925 was renamed Soldier Field in memory of American soldiers who died in war.
Soldier Field is the oldest NFL ground and is home for the Chicago Bears NFL team.
Tolkin still feels the buzz from when the USA last played there: November 1 last year when the Eagles played the All Blacks. While beaten 74-6, hosting the world No.1 side was a giant step up for US rugby, as hosting the Wallabies will be another.
"It is real special to play in a place like Soldier Field. It's an historic park in America, a lot of history and famous football games have been played there," Tolkin says.
"To be involved in American rugby for 30 years … it's amazing to see it come to this level where we are playing in venues like this.
"Hopefully, we can do good justice to it, and make more arenas take on games."
Rugby is Tolkin's life. He began playing it at Xavier High School in New York. After graduating in 1985, he played soccer at St. John's University, but then his love of rugby - and his preferred position of five-eighth - drew him back to coaching it there.
In 1992, he became the Under-19 USA assistant coach and a scout. Then he coached the New York Athletic Club in the Rugby Super League from 2000 to 2011, winning the 2005, 2008 and 2010 titles, while still coaching rugby at Xavier High School.
In 2010, he also coached the USA A side against England Saxons, then coached by current England coach Stuart Lancaster, and was USA defence coach from 2009 to the 2011 World Cup.
"For me, getting to coach this national team is a dream come true; and then to play the All Blacks and Wallabies … teams that I watched growing up," says Tolkin.
"They were beautiful to watch. They inspired my play when I was younger. That is a bit of a dream that has come true in itself."
On Saturday at Soldier Field the dream resumes … for Tolkin and USA rugby.
