As long as the kick stayed on the field and outside of the 22-metre line (where the AI will take a mark), it’s incredibly easy to force a turnover.īasic tackling is as easy as guiding your selected player into the opposing player with the ball. I found the most successful and repeatable tactic, regardless of difficulty level, was to perform a box-kick from the back of a ruck to gain ground. The best tactics were to deliberately relinquish possession to gain easy metres. Similarly, there were times when I pulled the ball out of the back of a ruck and just stood there watching the opposing team stand around, oblivious to my possession until I took a step forward. Even if you switch players immediately after kicking, it’s impossible to perform cheeky ten-metre starts/restarts that give you the opportunity to gain possession and make easy ground. While it’s nice to be at the centre of the action, it makes for boring rugby, as both sides stand around waiting for you to act.įor instance, at kick-off, your AI teammates only start moving after you’ve fully completed the drop-kick start of play, and the kicker stands stuck on the spot for a second or two before being able to move. As I played, it became increasingly clear to me that the gameplay stops and starts based on what the player is doing. Instead, you’ll have to learn by way of ten static training screens and in-game control reminders.įor the most part, the controls are all very easy to come to grips with, but it almost instantly comes apart after kick-off. Unfortunately, for gamers hoping Rugby 15 will be the gateway to understanding union, there’s a lack of a meaningful tutorial, or any specific training modes for the various components of the sport. In short, rugby union is a tricky game to learn, and developer HB Studios deserves kudos for condensing the complexities of the game into a relatively simple arcade-style control scheme. Scrums and mauls can be used to drive the ball across the try line or gain precious metres, while line-out kicks are essential for gaining ground. When tackled, the player holding the ball must release it, as players from both sides pile in and form a ruck, which can only be entered from the side.
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The team in possession of the ball can run as many phases as they like, unless there’s an infringement or they kick the ball.
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While scoring points is the same logic as other forms of football-getting a ball across a try line or kicking a ball between goal posts-converting kick-off to try time involves a number of key set pieces.įor instance, ground is gained by a kicking game, that’s governed by specific rules of whether the ball lands out on the full, bounces before the out-of-play line or is caught on the full behind the 22-metre line and ‘marked’.
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Of all the various sports that share the ‘football’ classification, rugby union is one of the trickiest for newcomers to wrap their heads around thanks to a myriad of rules and complexities. Sadly, Rugby 15 is not the game to break the drought.
![rugby 08 pc xbox controller rugby 08 pc xbox controller](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kF4tzyb6L._AC_SL1200_.jpg)
Rugby union fans have been starved for authentic video game representations of their beloved sport for years now, with the last truly strong rugby game being Rugby 08.