[bismillahno]

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Scrummaging and lineout techniques are also a lot more complicated. Just about any US player who is tall enough and athletic enough to be a good lock is playing basketball, not football

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I don't know rugby, but I would be stunned if this was true. There are many highly athletic NFL players that are at least 6'4" (Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow, Randy Moss, Jevon Kearse) and an occasional 6'7" super freak like Julius Peppers.

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I'll concede this, and thinking more, suspect a lineout capable of winning their own throw ins might be possible in 6 months. I still think the scrums would be a disaster though.

There are a couple of positions where experience is just so important too. Richie McCaw and George Smith aren't great open side flankers through pure athleticism, its because they know the game, and get to the right place at the right time.

Same for fly half, Wilkinson and Carter are good athletes, but its experience and field vision that makes them great. There are probably a few quarterbacks who would be great fly halfs with time, but it'd take a lot more than 6 months to get there.

A NFL pro bowl team would [censored] on the all blacks as far as athletes go, but I can't see them beating them with only 6 months to learn rugby.





except if it was the only way they could choke a world cup of course...