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The identity of the Springboks' pre-Lions tour opposition has been revealed
The World Cup-winning Springboks will signal their return from international rugby exile by taking on the USA Eagles at home in a warm-up match for the three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions. The Eagles, who like South Africa have not played a Test match since the 2019 Rugby World Cup due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will also provide the opposition in Britain if the tour is switched from its scheduled eight-match tour in South Africa this summer.
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Gary Gold, the USA Eagles head coach, confirmed the plans before heading from his home in Cape Town to America for the build-up to the start of the new Major League Rugby season.
That is the league that will provide at least half the USA match squad to face the Springboks. The rest of the squad will be based around key players operating in Europe including AJ MacGinty (Sale), Will Hooley and Ruben de Haas (Saracens), Paul Lasike (Harlequins), Greg Peterson (Newcastle), Titi Lamositele (Montpellier), Joe Taufete’e (Lyon) and David Ainu’u (Toulouse).
Gold will also be looking to the USA Eagles sevens squad that has been competing in Madrid to supply players, including Martin Iosefo and Ben Pinkelman who were both a part of the 2019 World Cup squad in Japan.
Gold told RugbyPass: “I approached the Springboks and they were in a similar position to us without fixtures and they said they could be looking for games. Hopefully, we will fulfil a need for the Springboks by getting some of the rustiness off and also get some game time ourselves.
EXCLUSIVE: The Australia bid, as it stands, is not the front runner
– reports @chrisjonespress ???https://t.co/DesJaJjFVF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2021
“The plan is to play the Springboks either down there if the tour takes place in South Africa or if not, we could be coming to the UK. Pretty much we will play them anywhere and I’m very optimistic the tour will go ahead, but the pendulum is slightly going towards being in the UK because of the vaccination roll out in the UK. It makes sense to go to a country that is more Covid-19 compliant.
“We also have a fixture against England due for July 11 and we have Titi playing in Montpellier, Joe is getting over an injury but training at Lyon and David is playing at Toulouse with Greg in the Newcastle pack while AJ is on fire for Sale Sharks at the moment.”
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While the Springboks have been treading water due to the impact of the pandemic, USA Rugby has been forced to deal with the ramifications of bankruptcy and only came out of Chapter 11 protection last September having given an undertaking to reimburse creditors over the next four years.
The MLR had to finish its 2020 season early due to lockdown and two teams – Toronto and San Diego – will be playing at neutral venues in 2021 to create bubbles to allow them to take part in this season’s campaign.
That is vital to give Gold a chance of putting together a team to face South Africa this year and then compete in the Rugby World Cup qualification matches for France 2023.
Gold is excited to see the impact de Haas can make at Saracens with the 22-year-old an exciting prospect who is the third generation to play for the Cheetahs, formerly Free State.
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The decision to exclude the Cheetahs from the Rainbow Cup, which will see the top South African franchises taking part in a competition with the Guinness PRO14, prompted the decision by the scrum-half to move to England.
Controversial refereeing performances aside, England's discipline has been on the skids for some time and it's a strong predictor of outcome for Eddie Jones' team
Josh Raisey ??? looks at the numbers, which tell an unequivocal story https://t.co/nOobkSApG9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 1, 2021
After the Springboks and England matches, Gold is hoping the USA will be involved in a series of further key matches. He added: “The rest of the year is Rugby World Cup qualifying games in the first two weeks of September and in October is the final round of Americas qualifying against the top South American qualifier. Hopefully, we would then get the Americas 1 spot in the pools.
“With the vaccine roll out I’m quietly confident. We have a whole group of guys preparing for the MLR start and I’m going back to the US for pre-season. We are looking to unearth some really good youngsters and in the sevens, Martin and Ben are going well.
“Ruben has a fantastic rugby pedigree and his dad was good enough to have been a Springbok. Ruben is a special player. His family moved to Arkansas and then he went to university back in South Africa. He would have stayed with Cheetahs but with them being kicked into touch he has joined Saracens.
“They have a history of producing great scrum-halves and he will be playing alongside international players. We have big aspirations in the States but cannot meet them unless AJ, Ruben and the guys are playing at the highest possible level. The MLR will get there but we have to deliver now in terms of the 2023 World Cup.”
'We have been monitoring Ruben’s progress over the last few seasons and are really excited by his potential, his ambition and drive'https://t.co/ono63gJxWu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 22, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments