But as players get bigger, stronger and faster, collisions lead to injuries and there is an increased focus on concussed players.
In the game at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday night, a total seven players left the field because of injuries.
David Gerrard, who was the medical officer at the game on Friday night, said the match was not brutal and was not a dirty game.
‘‘But what we found was an extraordinary set of circumstances which came into play,'' Gerard said.
‘‘I almost had players queueing up on the sideline. But it was just the way it happened. There were not a lot of penalties because of foul play. We had players from each team running into each other.
‘‘We have a whole new raft of initiatives on the medical side which makes things a whole lot more clearer to us. What used to fly under the radar 20 to 30 years ago is seen by us.
‘‘We err on the side of caution with injuries, particularly in regards to concussion. Now the referee has the jurisdiction to send someone to the sideline if he believes he has been concussed.''
Gerrard, a sports medicine expert, said different medical issues often came under the spotlight over the years.
‘‘Back 25 to 30 years ago the major concern was around the spinal cord, where a list of players suffered spinal injuries and rugby was forced to look at the issue.''
He said the rules were changed accordingly around scrummaging and no huge hits were allowed at scrum time.
Force loose forward Angus Cottrell was stretchered off in the game and Gerrard said medical staff were cautious at the game because he initially did not have any feeling in part of his arm.
Gerrard said in the old days many injuries were picked up in the depths of a ruck and maul but with cameras everywhere at games, injuries were seen more easily.
‘‘There is a lot more clarity around games now. Everything is clear to see. A lot more running in games.''
There were a lot more collisions as the game was faster and players were bigger, stronger and faster.
Former All Black doctor John Mayhew, now the Warriors league team's doctor, did not think the game was more brutal.
‘‘Brutal has connotations of thuggery and the game, both rugby and league, is not like that at all,'' Mayhew said.
‘‘The game is way cleaner the it used to be. It is a harder game and there are more collisions. More collisions lead to injuries,‘‘ Mayhew said.
‘‘The game has changed. Fifteen years ago a prop would have been lucky to make one or two tackles a game. Now he makes 10 to 12 a game. Two tacklers going into tackles these days causes injuries.''
Force coach Michael Foley said after the match last Friday night the match was a great advertisement for rugby.
But it was a tough sport.
‘‘Without being trite but blokes run into each other really hard. For 80 minutes blokes were flying into each other ... the intensity of the game is going up every year,'' Foley said.
‘‘Guys like me who played the game a while ago, if we were fair dinkum with ourselves, we wouldn't live with the guys now. The intensity of the game, the power, the athleticism is beyond anything that has been before.''
