Rugby 06 Review

By Nic Linnear Published 28 February, 2006

Leader of the pack.

Version tested: Xbox

Somewhere high up in EA’s crystal towers, somebody is sleeping well tonight, safe in the knowledge that gaming’s equivalent of Skynet is one step closer to global domination. Because to even the most casual of fan it’s clear that there’s no better console version of Rugby Union than EA’s spanking new shiny version. Case closed. Job done. Captain licensing money has saved the day again.

But at least EA has won this battle through sheer development class rather than financial brute force. Yes it boasts the poncy FIFA graphics engine and yes it looks fantastic as a result (if anything, Rugby 06 could well be the best looking sports game on this generation of console), but there’s far more to this beast than simply flashy visuals, slick presentation and yet another increasingly mainstream soundtrack.

Rugby 06 works because it boasts that sporting Holy Grail mix of simple controls and satisfyingly deep tactics. Running, passing, kicking, barging, shoving, swerving: pretty much all the standard rugby moves are quick and easy to come by. There are some slight hang ups - the lack of shoulder buttons on the Xbox means lateral passes have been switched to the face buttons, which doesn’t feel quite so intuitive, and continually switching between players when you’re on the defensive takes some time getting used to - but for the most part, getting a good game of egg-chasing out of Rugby 06 is easy stuff.

'Rugby 06' Screenshot 1

Go Johnny go go, go go go!

Then you’ve got your advanced controls on top. Master these and Rugby 06 really starts to feel like the real thing. Try a sly hand off to your forwards, as opposed to a long pass out to the wings, and watch your pack roll on as they build momentum. Send players off on a set play from a scrum to confuse your opponent. Take a quick free kick to catch napping defenders off guard. Clatter an opponent with a high tackle (and risk the sin bin in the process). Or, and this is our favourite new control tweak, make a last ditch pass as you’re being hauled to the floor and keep an otherwise dead phase of play rolling. Admittedly most of these techniques are weighted in favour of attacking play, but if you’re going to put rugby on consoles better to make it fast and free-flowing than a plodding series of collapsed mauls and muddy scrum man-mountains, right?

Of course, if you already own Rugby 2005 you’ll know a lot of this already. After some pretty shoddy EA rugby games of late, last year’s redesign really set a solid starting point for EA’s now annual commitment to the sport. Rugby 06 simply builds on this in time honoured EA fashion. In other words, add four or five new features, get rid of at least one ropey idea then update the team rosters. Bang. That’ll be forty new pounds thank you very much.

'Rugby 06' Screenshot 2

Oi, Blue 15 - you’re running the wrong way mate.

Which begs the question, if you already own Rugby 2005, is it worth upgrading to this?

Definitely, yes. Especially if you enjoyed Rugby 2005. Forget what certain corners of the popular gaming press have been saying about Rugby 06 being too similar to last year’s. Not to point fingers, but they clearly know nothing about rugby. Quite apart from the massively improved graphics and presentation, the new moves and tactics alone add a whole new element of strategy and realism to the game. Even the AI has been favourably tweaked. Not quite as far as we were hoping for, but at least packs don’t move around quite so much like shoals of fish anymore. OK, so yes, it does play similarly, but there are plenty of subtle differences too, and no one moans about that when it comes to annual PES updates.

But more importantly than all that, and this is the key element all REAL rugby fans need to consider, Rugby 06 finally offers the full range of Premiership, Celtic and Southern Hemisphere club teams, not to mention exhibition sides such as the Barbarians and New Zealand Maoris. That’s, like, three times as many sides as Rugby 2005. To be fair, Ubisoft’s Rugby Challenge 2006 includes most of these teams as well, but without the benefit of EA’s huge bag of official license snaffling money.

'Rugby 06' Screenshot 3

The Welsh scrum: and there’s Charlotte Church at the bottom.

If you’re well into your rugby, picking your way through Rugby 06’s huge range of licensed tournaments and leagues is a bit like walking through a giant sweetshop, stacked to the rafters with Josh Lewsey shaped wine gums. Even fairweather fans will be impressed by the range of options on offer. But it’s the chunky, Master League style career mode on top is that really set things off (which, incidentally, works all the better now Rugby 06 features a system of highly desirable and distinctly skilful "impact" players in each team).

The only obvious missing component is an online mode, but perhaps that’s more to do with rugby’s limited appeal (relative to football that is) than any kind of technical issue. A shame really, because this is a first class rugby game and it deserves a first class following across the world. Don’t worry peanut huggers, we’ll out football yet.

8 / 10

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About Nic Linnear

Read more articles from Nic by visiting the Nic Linnear archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Rayn #1 6 years ago

    This looks seriously good. Way better than FIFA.

  • Syrette #2 6 years ago

    What's up with that Blue 15 guy?

  • Abject #3 6 years ago

    Kudos to Eurogamer for having a game journo who actually knows something about Rugby to review the game.

  • morriss #4 6 years ago

    looks good. great graphics. Shame rugby is a gh3y sport! :p

    /runs and runs and runs and runs

  • groovychainsaw #5 6 years ago

    no 15 - if it's impressive AI he could be going back to cover any return kicks??
    edit - or its a bug... ;-)
    Edited by 1 at 28/02/06 @ 09:11

  • megastar #6 6 years ago

    Rugb..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • Talha #7 6 years ago

    NFS: MW, Fight Night Round 3 and now this - EA sequels getting better!!!
    Edited by 1 at 28/02/06 @ 09:17

  • Dirtie #8 6 years ago

    megastar, I seem to remember you or someone else posting the same thing for that other Rugby game... Just remember that there's about an average of two (*gasp*) whole goals per game of soccer. Now that's something I could fall asleep to.

    Anyway, nice to see the score on this one, I might actually give it a try. After the horribleness that was Rugby 2004, I totally bypassed 2005, but this looks like it may be worth getting.

    Oh, down here in New Zealand, the Rugby games have been more popular than the soccer ones for a long time :)
    Edited by 1 at 28/02/06 @ 09:34

  • Aretak #9 6 years ago

    "Nic Linnear"

    Sounds like a character from wanky Dreamcast RPG bore-fest Evolution.

  • Wobbler #10 6 years ago

    "The Welsh scrum: and there’s Charlotte Church at the bottom."

    Top quality caption :)

  • Hulio Julio #11 6 years ago

    What verson shall i get XBox or PS2? what are the differences? if any!

  • Tweakmonkey #12 6 years ago

    If you have play rugby and it doesn't have online there really is no point ;-)

  • Talha #13 6 years ago

    @Hulio: If you have to ask, I gather that you are a first-timer on this site!!! ;-)

  • Merlinho #14 6 years ago

    Good review, I'm almost tempted back to EA rugby after buying Rugby 2001 and 2004 put me off seemingly for life.

    One thing I'm interested in is how they handle rucks and mauls, as no game has grasped that yet, most going for a bizarre scrum forming round the player in possession/on the floor. If they've got devs in who actually know the rules for once, I'm in.

    But why do I have to stare at bloody Gavin Henson on the front page? Just when I'm managed to forget about Sunday's performance...

    /cries

  • Darren #15 6 years ago

    I bought this game a couple of weeks ago and I have to agree with the review that it's a great game. An 8/10 score is spot on in my opinion.

  • andrewfromdoncaster #16 6 years ago

    Admittedly most of these techniques are weighted in favour of attacking play, but if you’re going to put rugby on consoles better to make it fast and free-flowing than a plodding series of collapsed mauls and muddy scrum man-mountains, right?

    So its inaccurate then?

    And.....

    Not to point fingers, but they clearly know nothing about rugby

    A game based upon rugby union is fast and free flowing? I'd say the developers don't know much about rugby.


    Any chance of a Super League Rugby 2 review?

  • Coyler #17 6 years ago

    "The Welsh scrum: and there’s Charlotte Church at the bottom."

    /Nit pick

    Pity is the Lions and not the Welsh.

    /Nit pick off

    Must rent this and have a look. Need to find a game to fill the Jonah Lomu Rugby hole in my life.

  • polar #18 6 years ago

    I think number 15 is running back because the try has just touched down. Maybe he just reacts quicker than all the other players and hates celebrating?

  • Merlinho #19 6 years ago

    A game based upon rugby union is fast and free flowing? I'd say the developers don't know much about rugby.

    Coming from a sport that stops after every tackle? Lets not start derailing the thread with anti union jibes and concentrate on discussing if the game is any good. If you don't like union, feel free to leave.

  • Merlinho #20 6 years ago

    I hadn't looked at that France - Australia picture with the French fullback before now. The whole pic looks a bit odd though doesn't it? The whole two teams running behind the try scorer, just....not right.

  • Zuiyo #21 6 years ago

    This sounds like a review from Gamespot.

  • Stickman #22 6 years ago

    Don't worry Coyler, that smug prick plays for the Lions too.

  • andrewfromdoncaster #23 6 years ago

    Coming from a sport that stops after every tackle? Lets not start derailing the thread with anti union jibes and concentrate on discussing if the game is any good. If you don't like union, feel free to leave.

    Stops to get it moving again! The ball isn't lost for ages under a load of fatties.

    /kicks for touch
    /claps

  • Merlinho #24 6 years ago

    You've obviously been watching too many England games Andrew. Get the DVD of Wales' grand slam win and you'll see what a flowing game of rugby looks like.

  • bink #25 6 years ago

    No online....why??????

    I love my PES online (+skype), this would have been fantastic.

    Come on EA, there's still time for a 'road to the six nations' update.

  • gazareth #26 6 years ago

    But does it run on the 360? :(

  • thefilthandthefury #27 6 years ago

    I don't think liking Rugby or not matters, don't argue.

    I hate both Rugby AND Football, but I love the video game forms of them immensely.

  • Feanor #28 6 years ago

    "This sounds like a review from Gamespot."

    So it actually helps people considering buying this game to make their decision?

  • kentmonkey #29 6 years ago

    I saw this on that Gamer TV show on Bravo and the AI from the video footage looked awful. At one point it looked like a Benny Hill sketch where every single player on the pitch was within 4-5 yards of each other chasing a player (who went on to score a try) en-masse. It looked hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

    Any experience of that in the full game? If that was the easy mode then kind of fair enough but if it does that on higher settings it's an instant no-purchase in my book.

  • the_jamaster #30 6 years ago

    I hated it. It's way too easy to score and be scored against. I'll stick to Madden.

  • Jonathan_Kerr #31 6 years ago

    Great game, even better than last years.

    They've fixed a lot of the tackling issues, ie - like players being able to dive 3 times their own body length, which would then propel the runner into a tumbling roll over the sideline.

    More setplays, that are actually quite effective this time.

    Better graphics and slick menu presentation.

    Obviously, the stats reflect the current situation of the players. eg - It's good that Muliaina is not the fastest in the AB's anymore.

    Home ground games give you a momentum advantage meaning you're less likely to turn the ball over.

    'Magic' fullback from 2005 actually can miss tackles this time. He was too reliable in last years edition.

    - Quick lineouts speed the game up immensely and can be a good way of countering long distance kickers like Dan Carter, Jonny Wilkinson or Percy Montgomery.

    - Turbo gauge now has limits on it, meaning you really do have to watch how long you hold it for. If you get hit hard with low energy/turbo - injuries are a given.

    PROBS:

    - There's still a flaw, where you can kick for goal ANYWHERE on the field. Not a problem, except opposition players all stand behind the posts. So if you're penalised in your own 22, take the 'kick at goal' option, fail it intentionally, pick it up and run about 40 metres unimpeded. It would have been nice if they caught this one as it was in last years version. Most rugby teams would have a few guys in front of the posts, just in case the ball rebounds off it.

    Commentary is still a bit ho-hum, with some situations (ie - injury substitution) having only one comment.

    Scrums still seem a bit hit and miss. It can be a bit easy to lose the ball off your own feed.

    Make a player function still doesn't put limits on the statistics. You can bump everything up to 100 if I remember correctly. It would have been good to have limits on this.

    - Would be nice to have more defensive set play formations.

    OVERALL - very very good rugby game. Lots of fun and very responsive, with some subtle changes that add something new for the veterans as well as improving it from last years version. In no way, does this game regress from 2005.

    4 player on Xbox - 9/10

  • driptray #32 6 years ago

    @Jonathan_Kerr : good review!

    I rented this last night. First impressions were good, but there are things which I think rugby games have NEVER got right:
    1. Rucks. I hate all that "hit buttons to add men to the ruck" thing. I think rucks should form automatically. If the player with the ball is tackled far from any support then there should be 2 options: hold on to the ball until support arrives (and risk giving away a penalty) or randomly throw the ball backwards.
    2. Playing defense. I think the cycle-through-players-to-control scheme should be ditched here in favour of having greater control of the whole defensive line. You should be able to spread them out, bunch them up, change the angles, and have to hammer buttons (or something) to get them back into position quicker. Controlling a single player (which you'd want to do when there's a breakaway, for example) should be a selection rather than a default.

    I think the camera in this game is a little dodgy too: when there's lots of action at the far side of the pitch it's really tricky to see what's going on!

    ... other than that though, not bad!

  • Jonathan_Kerr #33 6 years ago

    Driptray - cheers mate.

    I can't believe I forgot to suggest this but (in my opinion), the best view to play Rugby 2006 is 'Classic 3' which is the same as John Madden Football where the team with the ball is always running upfield. This makes it so much easier to tell who has the ball in a ruck, scrum or after an intercept. Also, it gives you a greater view of where your own players are as well as making it possible for the defence to properly man their defence. As a final bonus, it makes passing so much easier, hit x to pass left and b to pass right - always. The only drawback is when the ball is close to the sideline, the camera switch can sometimes be disorienting.

    I'm quite surprised that many reviews haven't suggested this as it increased our enjoyment greatly and uncrowds the view.

    I found it bloody hard to land the dropgoals in the side-on view, but with the John Madden view, it's a cinch.


    Actually, I really like how they've done the rucks. You can tell by the bar overhead which team has the advantage going into the ruck (so it's not always necessary to add more men). Adding more men to the ruck is great if your loose trio have a high rating as it increases your chance of a turnover. The downside is that it leaves gaps around the rucks and less forwards amongst the backs for the defence.

    I wish it were possible to start a rolling maul from a ruck with a guy running from the back-- the only time I've been able to do it has been from a lineout. Keep pressing up and A to add men and start pushing.

    Defense isn't too bad, it just seems they're a little slow to move into position after you press one of the four d-pad buttons to keep them tight, spread them out, ready themselves for a kick etc... there also seems to be a nasty bug where occasionally a defender assumes a 'Jesus Christ Pose' until you take control of him, instead of reacting to the play. Very seldom tho'.
    Edited by 1 at 01/03/06 @ 13:06

  • driptray #34 6 years ago

    Jonathan: thanks for the "classic 3" tip .. looking forward to trying it out!

  • Nofear_uk #35 6 years ago

    Why oh why can't this game be backwards compatible with the Xbox 360!?!!

    /cries

    I love Rugby games but now I have a 360 I can't bear to drag my dusty Xbox out of the cupboard. I hope they get this sorted pretty soon it sounds a great!