Pressing the F12 key brings up a menu to change the resolution to whatever the card can handle. Anything below 1024x768 will have some amount of distortion, however, and you will need to change the resolution again when you restart the game. EA is aware of the problem and in the readme file they suggest checking out the Rugby 2001 website . As of this writing there is nothing there to suggest a permanent fix. The main menu before and after the resolution change.
Weather conditions can really affect the game.
Hot days will tire the players out noticeably and stormy ones will cause the ball to be more slippery and easily fumbled. And it's about the coolest thing I've ever heard in a sports game when I could hear thunder rolling in the background. At the rugby grounds in Limerick, I thought I even heard the sound of a church bell ringing. Though that might have been a product of the crowd sound loop, it was still interesting to hear. With all the options for different matches to play in, from friendlies to the Bledisloe Cup, there isn't much you can't do.