Adjusting to the interpretations of foreign referees continues to be a challenge for Hastings Boys' High School at the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament in Japan.
"We had a Japanese referee today. He couldn't understand Liam when he asked what our boys had to do to adjust and Liam couldn't understand him," HBHS manager Jason Bird said after his troops completed an unbeaten run in pool play with a 45-14 win against Jianguo High School from Chinese Taipei last night.
He was referring to captain Liam Udy-Johns.
"We've got an interpreter but we can't run him onto the field. This is an issue for all English-speaking nations here," Bird said.
New Zealand's sole representatives at the 16-team event in Fukuoka which caters for the best 1st XVs in the world, HBHS led 33-7 at halftime after a superb start in which they scored three converted tries during the first 15 minutes. Bird said the Kiwis didn't have the same intensity in the second half after the subs bench was emptied early. While the subs added impact there wasn't the same flow.