So, I watched a good bit of this stuff this weekend. The rugby players are fast in the manner that milers are fast, which is to be expected. That's just the pace of the game. None of them ever demonstrated any sort of sprinter speed, which, again, is to be expected.
One game is a long, continuous affair with players gradually moving slower as the game progresses and the other is a series of team sprints with players substituted if they cannot maintain maintain top flight speed.
They have drastically different physical demands.
I won't try to project an NFL player into rugby but I can safely say that the athletic skills I saw of rugby players don't translate well to performing in the NFL.
