Shawn Pittman has his sights set on a big year in 2011, with the USA Eagle targeting promotion with London Welsh, followed by a spot of World Cup giant killing in New Zealand.

Having joined the Old Deer Park club in the summer, the 21-year-old six-time capped USA prop forward has already made his mark, starting all eight of Welsh’s Championship games so far this season and helping the club up to second in the table.

He’ll look to keep that form going when Welsh renew acquaintances with Bristol at Old Deer Park on Saturday (3pm) with the Exiles having taken a maximum 15 points from their opening three home matches.

By anyone’s standards, Pittman’s rise in the sport has been rapid in the extreme. American football and track and field were his sporting passions up until just over three years ago until he was persuaded by some friends to come along to a rugby training session.

Touch rugby eased him into the sport and it was the opportunity for the defensive tackle to get his hands on the ball for a change that immediately had him hooked.

From playing week in, week out for Chuckanut Bay RFC in Washington, he was then spotted at a tournament in California and invited to attend a USA Under 19 camp – just five months after he’d taken up the sport.

“It was mostly cause I got to carry the ball – that was the fun part. I was like ‘why haven’t I been playing this game?’ Once I found rugby, it was a joy to play and it still is,” said Pittman.

Selection for the 2007 Under 19 World Cup in Belfast would prove a watershed moment in the career of rugby convert from Bellingham, Washington. Having begun life as a number eight, he was pulled aside one day by his coach, told he wouldn’t make it at a higher level in the back row and subsequently thrust into front row.

“I probably wouldn’t be here if I’d stated at eight, so I’m glad I did it,” said Pittman, who’s first-ever game at prop was against Russia at the U19 World Cup.

“It was a tough game; I didn’t have any technique. I hated playing prop; it was just a miserable position, but I stuck with it and now I’ve learnt to love it. It took me a year to actually start liking it.”

The same year he was one of two up and coming USA players selected to undertake the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand’s Advanced Course at Massey University in Palmerston North, under the watchful eye of All Black greats such as Grant Fox.

“The facilities were beautiful; it was probably the nicest place I’ve ever been. It was fun and worth the price of a little bit of sweat,” he said.

The following year he was selected for the inaugural Under 20 World Cup in Wales, but despite now playing for London Welsh, Pittman has a dark secret to confess – he has mixed feelings about his time in Wales!

“It was fun; we weren’t in the most attractive place (Mold) and couldn’t really go and explore or see the culture. I don’t think I saw any Welsh people, except those that were in the hotel. It looked like the streets were deserted,” he said.

“All the Welsh boys say ‘you should come back with us for a visit’ and I’m like ‘no, that’s ok!’.

On the field, though, he was clearly impressing the people that mattered and his Eagles debut came later that year as a late replacement against Uruguay in November, having impressed with his scrummaging at a USA selection camp and been invited to attend Eagles training in the build up to the game.

“I didn’t think I was going to play, I was just on the bench and they were like ‘warm up’ and I thought I was warming up for the heck of it, but then they said ‘you’re on for the last five minutes’. It was great; my fast pass ever in international rugby was a miss pass,” recalled Pittman, who was scheduled to join London Welsh in January earlier this year only for injury to put the move on hold until the summer.

Having played in both legs of the Eagles’ World Cup qualifying aggregate defeat to Canada, Pittman was forced to sit out the play-off victory over Uruguay which saw the USA secure the Americas 2 spot at next year’s World Cup.

The Eagles have been drawn in Pool C alongside Australia, Ireland, Italy and Russia but with former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan at the helm, Pittman is confident the USA can spring a few surprises.

“I think we can beat Russia. Italy’s going to be a tough game. Ireland? Anything can happen – it’s a World Cup, stranger things have happened,” he said.

“It’s going well, he’s [Eddie O’Sullivan] a good coach. I like his style of play, which let’s the forwards run with the ball. I really enjoy the open style he has.

“It’ll be a good year,” adds Pittman and if the versatile front row forward can help Welsh win promotion to the Premiership, it’ll be an even better one.

Had it not been for injury Pittman would have lent his sizable frame last January to the Exiles’ push to the Championship semi-finals, which ended against Bristol at the Memorial Stadium. Instead he opted to remain in the USA and prepare for the Churchill Cup.

“I didn’t want to come over with injuries, so I decided to stay home and get myself ready for the Churchill Cup, and hopefully Welsh would have another look at me. They did and Phil [Greening] asked me to come over,” he explained.

By his own admission, Pittman knew little about the game in England, with his knowledge of London Welsh limited to visits to the club website and YouTube.

“I like it, the standards pretty high. It’s probably the highest level I’ve played consistently, game in and game out. I’m really enjoying it because I know I’m improving. Every week I’m getting better,” said Pittman.