USA Eagles head coach Gary Gold has revealed that his team could face the Springboks in a warm-up match for the British & Irish Lions series.

Both the Springboks and the USA have not played any Test rugby since the 2019 World Cup in Japan due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an interview with RugbyPass, Gold confirmed plans were in the works for the two nations face off as the Springboks prepare for the likelihood of travelling to the UK to face the Lions.

‘I approached the Springboks and they were in a similar position to us without fixtures and they said they could be looking for games,’ Gold told RugbyPass. ‘Hopefully, we will fulfil a need for the Springboks by getting some of the rustiness off and also get some game time ourselves.

‘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.’

South Africa and the USA have only faced each other four times in the past, with the Springboks winning all four of those Test matches. The most recent encounter came in the 2015 World Cup pool stage, when the Heyneke Meyer-coached Boks won 64-0.

Recent reports have suggested that the Springboks and B&I Lions are both weighing up the option of Jersey as a base as it increasingly appears the highly anticipated tour will move north.

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Jersey, an island off the south-England coast, has been the subject of interest for both Warren Gatland and Rassie Erasmus as preparations continue for the Lions series. It is felt that the series is now all but certain to be played this July in the UK and Ireland.