Great improvement upon previous version. But seems to want to please too many people at the same time...
The gameplay is by far the major improvement over previous version. It is easier than ever for the users to throw spin pass, misses passes or feed it to a trailer of a ruck. I haven't played the PS2 version but the controller of the Xbox feels great and the layout of the commands is intuitive and easy to remember. Set pieces controls--- that means scrum, lineouts, rucks and mauls --- have been revamped. They are now revamped and simplified which was a most! Kicks are a little trickier. Though the diversity (up and under, soccer style, punt) is greatly appreciated, they are hard to control and player will often end up being tackle in the process.
By the way tackles are amazing in this game, a little over the top, but amazing nonetheless. I was playing this game with some of my team-mates (I play rugby for those that haven't figured it out) and we couldn't help to jump out of our seats following some if theses bone crushing (and normally illegal --- there are rules against high tackles and roughing in rugby guys!!! ) hits. One critic about tackling would be that more animations could have been implemented.
The usual game modes are back: world league, world championship, tri-nations and the likes. A create-a-player was included which is always fun. But in the end, theses game modes seem a little empty. Let's hope that upcoming version will address that problem.
The graphics are smoother than they used to be. The player models are actually starting to look like their real life counter parts. However, along with the game's sounds, it's just not up to par with other EA franchise.
But the main critic I have about this game is the fact that it may be leaving aside rugby fans (which are still going to be the main buyers of this title). The mandatory practice session was a nice addition and great care to introducing the sport to a new audience should still be a priority. But why wouldn’t it be possible to be truer to the game's actual rules. "Being put onside by the kicker", "high tackles", "Holding the push on scrums", "3 or 5 man lineouts", "scrum option on kicks through the end zone" are some of the many rules that should be implemented in the game. I understand that some people may get confused by them but is it so hard to include a "switch specific rules on/off" segment in the option menu?
In conclusion Rugby 2005 is full a good intentions and is a really enjoyable game to play for all kind of players (though the learning curve may be a little more abrupt for rookies --- vets will be able to jump in and understand the mechanics within 10 minutes of playing). Plus it should be available for a cheap(er) price. Give it a try!