This Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams face off against the New York Giants for the second outing of the 2016 NFL International Series. While London's Wembley stadium has hosted a regular season NFL game since 2007, this is the first contest to be played at the home of English rugby, Twickenham.
Rugby and American Football have always had a friendly rivalry with each other, usually perpetuated by cauliflower-eared Brits who balk at the NFL's body-armour and ad-breaks. Americans, on the other hand, don't seem to know much about rugby at all. Or do they? Wanting to find out, we rocked up to the LA Rams temporary practice facility near Guildford to quiz a few Gridiron greats on scrums, tries and hookers before their game at Twickenham this weekend.
JOHNNY HEKKER, PUNTER
Hey Johnny, can I test you on your rugby knowledge?
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OK. It's gonna be bad, but I'll go for it.
We'll start with an easy one: What is a try?
A try? That's when you touch the ball down in the endzone, right?
Exactly.
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And it's six points right?
No it's five points, then the conversion is two.
And you have to kick it from where you touched down right? I knew that, so you see the guys looping round to touch it down in the middle of the endzone. Do they call it the endzone in rugby?
I think you can call it the endzone. OK, another easy one - what's a scrum?
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Scrum? That's the big mash of bodies. I'm not sure when they have to do it, but I know that's when they press into each other and they drop the ball in the middle and you try and knock it back to your team.
Perfect! OK, what is a 'hand-off'?
A hand off? Is that the...'hand-off'? Is that the pass?
Nah, it's the English equivalent of a stiff arm.
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Oooh a hand off. That's great, I like that.
Which of these is NOT a position in rugby: Fly half, kicker, or hooker?
There's no kicker. The hooker...oh god - he must be making good money whatever he's doing. I'm gonna guess that the hooker throws the ball in.
He does actually do that!
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Whoa, really?!
Yeah, but also in the scrum he's the guy who'll literally 'hook' the ball back with his leg. Next one: Which country won the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham last year?
I want to say New Zealand. The All Blacks.
Exactly. Last question: which current NFL player represented USA at the rugby sevens tournament at this summer's Olympics?
Nate Ebner. I watched plenty of the matches.
BENNY CUNNINGHAM, RUNNING BACK
Hey Benny, seeing as you're playing at Twickenham on Sunday I was hoping I could quiz you on your knowledge of rugby.
Oh man, this is not good. This is not good.
OK we'll start simple. What is a try?
What is a try. Is it like an extra point? I have no idea.
It's like the equivalent of a touchdown. Do you know what a scrum is?
Yes, that's when all the players get together right? And push against each other to fight for the ball.
Yes. Do you know what a hand-off is?
The toss?
No.
Aah!
What if I do this with my arm? *sticks out arm*
A stiff arm? That's a hand off? Ooh I like that.
Which of these is not a position in rugby: Kicker, fly half or hooker?
Kicker.
Nice. Do you know what the other two do?
A hooker? Sounds bad, I'm not gonna say what I think he does.
Understandable. OK, which NFL player represented the USA in the rugby sevens tournament at the recent Olympics?
He played for San Francisco right?
No, he currently plays for the Patriots.
Ah, 43. I don't know his name but I know who you're talking about.
Nate Ebner.
Ah, I got you.
GREG ZUERLEIN, KICKER
Hey Greg. What is a try?
After you cross the line and get it into the endzone?
You're on the right track - it's the equivalent of a touchdown. What's a scrum?
The scrum is when the teams get together during a contested ball and they push their shoulders against each other and fight over the ball, and whoever wins that gets possession.
Exactly. Now, a drop goal, which is often performed in rugby, is also legal in the NFL. True or false?
True. A quarterback called Doug Flutie was the last guy to do it.
On to Twickenham. Do you know which country won the Rugby World Cup at the stadium last year?
I would say...New Zealand, might as well.
Yep, you got it. Lastly, which current NFL player represented USA in the rugby sevens at the Olympics this summer?
Nate Ebner.
You got it. Thanks Greg.
Twickenham's usual braying brigade of rugby-watching wax-jacketed banter merchants will be replaced by thousands of NFL fans this Sunday as the Los Angeles Rams take on the New York Giants at the stadium...
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