After a stunning display of national pride on top of a double-decker bus comes the official game of the England rugby team. And just in time for the Six Nations too! Since the World Cup everyone's opted for double PE instead of German when it comes to GCSE options and World Championship Rugby is bound to capitalise on all the current swell of rugby mania. At its core, World Championship Rugby is an excellent arcade replacement for the real thing. It somehow manages to capture the essence of rugby and completely disregard it at the same time. It's the rugby Diet Coke.

World Championship Rugby is the official sequel to the widely respected Jonah Lomu Rugby, something the developer Swordfish Studios is happy to draw comparisons with. And rightly so. WCR has the same beautifully simple take on rugby that strips away complicated rules and procedures, replacing them with an intuitive, instantly playable game. Even a novice with neither the knowledge nor interest in rugby will be able to grasp the fundamentals of the game within a few minutes. Shortly after that, they're guaranteed to start enjoying it as well.

Basically, every move you need to perform can be displayed on screen if you feel you want a nudge in the right direction. Left and Right triggers operate passes, A is for kicks, scoring tries, and tackles (because you'll never do all three at once), and just click the Left stick for a sprint. It's as easy as being floored by an All Black. All that's then left to do is to cover yourself in mud, blood, and sweat, and hit the field for a full-on brawl.

The learning curve, once you've got to grips with the handling, is just on the right side of tough. So, although you may know how to pass and tackle, there's no way the All Blacks will stand idly by cheering you on as Dallaglio and co land try over try past the line. The opposition are a tough, intelligent bunch who swarm around you, forcing you to relinquish the advantage you may have gained, but the controls are responsive, and passing the ball is like dropping a buttered baby, so you should find chinks in their defence after just a few goes.

After scoring a try comes the conversion, and if the simple nature of the gameplay falls flat anywhere, it's here. You simply have to position an arrow in the direction you want to kick and press A, without a power bar in sight. Surely an ounce more depth wouldn't have made the game any less arcadey than it already is. Just because it's fun and simple, doesn't mean it has to be brain dead.

There isn't much jiggery-pokery to be had either, apart from renaming some of the players. You can't custom build your own teams, nor can you alter kit, or play as any team other than internationals. Just about the only outside influence you have is over camera angles but some are just plain stupid. One is so far removed from the pitch you're left feeling like you're watching bacteria multiply really quickly in a petri dish.

World Championship Rugby is a no-frills, man's man of a game. It cuts out the namby-pamby gristle of team stats, league scores, and customisation in favour of pure, bone-crunching, ear-bruising arcade thrills. If you think you can handle rugby that concentrates on the game, and only the game, then you're looking at a brutal and very playable treat, but you have been warned. Stat jugglers steer clear.

More could have been made of the multiplayer options (maybe even four-player options like FIFA 2004) but two just about does the job. The action looks great on screen and thanks to its nice and easy arcade approach, even fans new to the game since the World Cup will be slugging it out in no time at all.

After an initial delve into the rules, it all becomes pretty clear and straightforward. And look at that, we didn't make a single gag about funny-shaped balls.

1. Instantly playable
2. No fiddly stats
3. Looks the business

1. Too few frills
2. Almost no customisation
3. Too simple for long term interest

Power
Stretches the Xbox less than a five-minute pre-match warm-up, but it plays as good as it looks.

Style
Simple. It's pie and mash followed by a pint, a real bloke's game with everything you need.

Immersion
Extreme accessibility and straight-forward gameplay means you'll be going until the early hours.

Lifespan
Rugby fans of all size and skill will lap this up. Two-player multiplayer games should keep things fresh.

Summary
A great arcade game that manages to overcome the lack of added extras. Recreates the sport with pinpoint precision.