Bermuda endured a difficult start to the Rugby Americas North Men’s Under-19 tournament on Wednesday, suffering defeats in their opening two matches.

In their first fixture in Querétaro, Mexico,, Bermuda were beaten 55-0 by United States South. The American side proved too strong, using their size, pace and experience to dominate possession, territory and the scoreboard from the outset.

Bermuda responded with a much-improved performance later in the day against the host nation. They were locked at 5-5 with Mexico for the better part of the match, defending with discipline and competing hard at the breakdown and in contact.

However, the Mexicans pulled away late, scoring 18 unanswered points to secure a 23-5 victory. Despite the results, there were positives for coached Chris Naylor and Anthony Cupidore to take from the day.

Against USA South, they were outclassed by a more physical team, but versus Mexico they showed resilience, teamwork and the ability to stay in a contest.

Bermuda are back in action on Thursday when they face Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Their performances in these two encounters will determine their placement match on Saturday, the final day of the development competition.