While the USA Men’s 15s team is preparing to take on the All Blacks, a team that has faced New Zealand frequently, the USA Men’s 7s team, is hard at work getting ready for tournaments in Dubai and South Africa.

They have been doing it without coaches Chris Brown and Mike Friday, however. Friday was expected to return to the UK for his other job as Director of Rugby at London Scottish. But Brown, who runs the day-to-day training of the team, was unable to return with the squad from the Gold Coast 7s in Australia because his via had run out.

The paperwork has been filed to get him the right visa, and according to USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville, that visa has been approved. Friday’s work visa has also been approved, said Melville.

This isn’t the first time that USA coaches from overseas have had visa issues. It’s not clear if the issues are mistakes on USA Rugby’s front (it wouldn’t be the first time), or slow work on the part of Homeland Security (also, wouldn’t be the first time).

Meanwhile, the 7s team has been working under the eye of current 7s HP Director Alex Magleby, and strength and conditioning coach Jared Siegmund. Most of the work was expected to be conditioning work anyway, said Melville.