Oy! Grab yer' boots and step to the pitch, mate. I love the smell of turf in the morning. Blood, sweat, hard hits, the roar of the crowd and pints at the pub, I love rugby. I would love to shake the hands of the people who pushed forward to make rugby a reality at EA. This is a tough and dynamic game to tackle, no pun intended. So without further ado, let's take the pitch with Rugby 06.

The graphics look like they are about two generations back from the ones currently being used on EA sports titles such as Madden. However, this doesn't matter much, because the animations are "spot on." They payed great attention to what the look and feel of a "try" or touchdown was, as well as the jaw-jarring tackles where you are knocked backwards. There were even a few times I had to make sure I didn't have grass in my teeth as I played at home.

I wasn't too thrilled about the hard rock tunes. I am quite sure that after singing a few rugby songs in pubs, they could have found some more fitting music. It just feels like they are trying to play up the "extreme" and "hard hitting", almost American, version of what we might think the music should be.

So the people behind Rugby 06 are well aware that most of us Americans have no idea what rugby is or how it's played. There is a very good tutorial that takes you through the basics of rugby and the general concept. The game may be intimidating at first, but after a very quick few minutes, you will have the concepts down that make it the awesome sport it is. These same people also know that rugby is played all over the world and have added a great amount of detail that will make this a very immersive game for all levels.

Be prepared to learn a whole new vocabulary. Rugby is chock full of traditions and legends. Let's just say that my wife wasn't too thrilled when I went streaking through the kitchen screaming "ZULU" after I scored my first try. Where as the words may change, the concept is well known-- get the ball over the line and touch it down to score. Don't get tackled with the ball, and make sure you tackle the guy with the ball. There you have it, mates, all you'll ever need to know. Ok, so there is a lot more to it, but that is the easy stuff.

Get ready to pit yourself against the best in the world, you better believe they have tournament play. The world Championship Tournament showcases the best rugby played on the planet. There are 9 tournaments you can play through. All the greats, from The Three Nations Tournament to The Guinness Premiership.

For the serious fans who know the rosters through and through, you can manage your team as to who will take the pitch as your starters, and who will be your backups. Thank God that in rugby the only striking is on the pitch, and there are no salary caps to contend with.

Wow, like any other EA sports game, Rugby 06 may cost you a few controllers sacrificed in the classic manners. I love the fact that they didn't make the game over simplified, but at the same time, kept it interesting for advanced players. They use a simple scoring system that allows you to see which teams will match up better against one another. I highly recommend that you spend your first steps pitting teams of a lower score against each other. The game speed at this level will really help you get to see all of the subtleties before diving right in against the best in the world.

There are a few control mechanics that I have issue with in Rugby 06. In every EA title I have picked up, the "X" is usually assigned to the extra effort or sprint function. Here, it used to pass the ball backwards through the pack as you are being tackled. If you are in the open field, the "X" is used to kick the ball into touch. If you are not careful during the heat of the moment, you end up kicking the ball to the other team with a quick kick while trying to advance the ball forward. There are also way too many times that the computer-controlled players are just standing around on defense. There are also a few times in which players who would normally work to "clean" or secure the ball for your team would instead retreat away from the ball. There are two schools of thought here. (1) It is better to get into position to play defense and accept that you have lost the ball to the other team, or (2) my idea of making sure you keep the ball and fight for it. Sometimes the sensation is that balls you have a right to, or should have kept possession of, are simply turned over for the interest of the game.

I loved the dual stick moves that can be executed on the run. By moving the proper direction with one control, you use the other to charge, sidestep, or juke the other team out of their boots. I also really like the comfortable passing feel as you will pass the ball as many times as you push the buttons. This is even if you have no man there to pass to, so be careful not to let the ball lay on the ground for the other team to scoop up and take in for a score.

In all, Rugby 06 is as true to the sport as any game can be. You really get a feel for the ease of the sport, as well as the intricacies. I will continue to tout this as the best rugby game out there. The look, the feel and the white-knuckle play will continue to keep me engrossed and coming back for more. I look forward to continued iterations of this game, and hopefully they can sort out the minor computer player issues that keep this game from being just that much better. Cheers mates, and "ruck" on!