Zinzan's World Championship Rugby plays a fairly straight game of footy, and in this aspect its developers should be commended for getting the basics so right.

Sensible strategies work in ZWCR, with the balance of probability where it should be thanks to the way the ball bounces, the weight of kicks, excellent collision detection in tackles and catching, smart AI and team formations.

Rugby's inherent dependence on strategy over heroism always threatens to undo a match for those used to being in control all the time. Like Stacey Jones Rugby League's brilliant execution of team defence, trying to be everywhere at once will only get player one in trouble. Zinzan's has a sensible allocation of changing players with the left and right triggers of the Xbox controller, and while you won't get pinged for a high tackle here you will get done if you don't allow for the fact that the control system is reckless about late hits. Be sure to check the proximity of your defender before hitting the aggressive tackle button, because unfortunately he will not pull out if the ball has been passed by the time he gets close enough to effect a knockdown.

While the basic setup of Zinzan's is understandable, the poor button configurations on offer go hand in hand with the restriction of player control and while opening up both areas would not make the game anything like a sequel to Jonah Lomu Rugby, what you get is not the most intuitive of systems.

The main complaint is the sprint control, which like so many settings could have been better. You can press the L3 button, or the Y button, or the white button, but none of these options is comfortable and while it can be argued that sprinting should never be easy, the game itself restricts the move to a slight pickup in speed for a limited time, and tired forwards do not get any advantage at all. Where else could the sprint control be assigned? Well, this is the crux of how controls and play options are inseperably integrated, and Gameplanet is certainly not here to argue against a simple style of play where it is well done.

Our fantasy layout would have the right control stick controlling passing direction (and thereby offering true forward pass risk although this could be limited with difficulty levels or left out all together) and speed. No more giving it to the guy behind you unless that's what you wanted to do. Creating gaps and floating a pass, a quick rotation for a backhand pass or a twitch for analogue dummies. Perhaps even a click to change hands, who knows. We'd use those analogue functions for kicks and lineout passes, and yes, even running speed. Damn the PC and its mindless peripherals.

Speaking of controls, Gameplanet's overactive imagination has us frothing at the replays. The game coin-tosses your replay camera for each try (yes, only tries get replays), and all you get is the same range of options as your CD player.

There is also no option for a live camera that always sits behind your team: even if possession changes ends, the camera does not. However, what we do love is that the side-on camera has been retained from Jonah Lomu and it works a treat. Maybe it wouldn't if Gameplanet had its way with the control setup but as it is there are no issues with judging angles and distances, marking opponents or seeing all the action. Other camera angles include an overhead blimp cam and several end-on options but this is our favourite and works remarkably well. In fact, how other games have failed to successfully implement this options is beyond us.

Competition modes include mock Five Nations, Tri Nations and of course World Cup events, but whereas these offer nothing more than a series of games against relevant opponents, the interesting and enjoyable Challenge mode offers a variety of scenarios from reversing classic results with limited time left to play or breaking records for individual players.

But the real meat of the action is in multiplayer, thanks to the effective side-on camera and the scarsity of unwanted interruptions such as unfair penalties or glitches. And while most of us have a bent for the running game, it's the rucks and mauls, lineouts and kicks that are the better implemented elements. Lineouts require you to choose your jumper and for the team in possession to hold down the throw command long enough to hit the right pair of hands. Rucks utilise a highly intuitive system of quickly tapping enough times to add players and then holding down the button to push over the ball. Get there and start the push soon enough and you will probably keep the ball, but failure to stay close to your forwards will be punished.

Passing is straightforward although skip pass commands aren't always obeyed. Dummies and fends are genuinely gamebreaking but for the most part they are overtaken by the abilty to run in circles or do whatever you want in order to effect a sidestep or lunge, thanks to the absence of momentum. It might look wrong but the effect is often realistic.

Goal kicks are executed from a difficult viewing angle and are one of the harder parts to master. Judging the relative angle of your aim and the effect of wind and you kicker's foot all make for some tense times, especially where a goal can make the winning difference.