I think the passing system needs a radical overhaul, especially for skip passes and on counter-attack. The system used in rugby 2001 worked quite well e.g. by tapping the pass button twice the pass would skip a man, and three times would result in a double skip.

Another improvement that needs to be made is the sidestep/fend/shoulder charge on the right thumbstick. There needs to be more variety in the animations and moves which are unique to each player