The functions of the buttons change depending on whether you are attacking, defending, or contesting possession.
Not all controllers are equal for this specific game. Because Rugby 08 relies on rapid tapping for stamina (especially for wingers), you need a responsive D-Pad and buttons. rugby 08 controller mapping
Fix: Rugby 08 has a bug where it disables controllers if it detects mouse movement. Go to "My Documents/EA Sports/Rugby 08/" and delete the config.ini file. Relaunch the game. This forces the game to re-read your keyboard binds. The functions of the buttons change depending on