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 BAND OF BROTHERS: DESPITE BEING the ancestor of American Football, rugby is a relatively minor amateur sport in the United States. But at the elite military academy of West Point, New York, the game is flourishing for a simple reason: with its demanding technique, the need for rapid individual decision making and - above all - its warrior culture, rugby is considered the best possible sporting preparation for the controlled chaos of the battlefield.

Five minutes before kick-off, and coach Rich Pohlidal wants his men to know that the demands of daily life at West Point should give them an edge. "Look these guys in the eye and ask them where they live - what can they do to us? Hardship is good, suffering is good - you know it makes us stronger!"