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Not even a defeat could stop Daniel Hourcade from taking pleasure in his surroundings. The head coach of Argentinas rugby team expressed a good many regrets at the end of a 33-21 loss to Australia this month, from his teams failure to capitalize on key opportunities to a shortage of contested scrums. But the decision to give up home-field advantage and stage this game in England was not among them.It was a great experience. Playing here at Twickenham [Stadium] is really an honor, said Hourcade. He went on to describe the venue as the cathedral of rugby.Time will tell whether Twickenham can make a similar impression on Jeff Fisher. The Los Angeles Rams head coach could be forgiven for feeling unenthusiastic about surrendering one of his teams home games to host the New York Giants in London at a potentially pivotal moment in the NFL season.Fisher took the Rams across the pond once before, in 2012. They were shellacked 45-7 by the New England Patriots in what remains the most lopsided NFL International Series result.That game, though, was held at Wembley Stadium. Sunday will mark the NFLs first visit to Twickenham. This change of setting might not mean much to Fisher, whose only focus right now will be on picking his team up after consecutive defeats. The rest of us, though, might find intrigue in the prospect of an American football game being staged at the spiritual home of English rugby.Humble beginningsThere was a time when people might have scoffed at the suggestion that Twickenham should host any sport other than rugby. Then again, there was a time when people scoffed at the suggestion that it could host any sporting event at all.The decision by Englands fledgling Rugby Football Union to invest almost ￡5,600 on a 10?-acre parcel of land on the southwest outskirts of London back in 1907 was greeted with incredulity by the national press. For journalists who lived and worked in the city center, Twickenham might as well have been Timbuktu -- 12 or so miles from Piccadilly Circus and with poor transport links.This was not prime real estate but farming land -- previously in use as a mix of orchards and market gardens. Worse, it was located in a flood plain. The RFU had to arrange for the field to be raised using dirt excavated during the creation of the London Undergrounds Metropolitan line.The venue was quickly nicknamed Billy Williams Cabbage Patch -- a jab at the RFU committee member who had proposed the site. More pointed words were chosen by the Daily Mirror newspaper, which characterized the whole project as a costly white elephant.Twickenham would defy such dire assessments. Despite occasional flirtations with different venues, England Rugby has never left. Instead, the stadium has gradually expanded -- with stands rebuilt on the same site several times over -- from a capacity of 18,000 at its first international game through to 82,000 today (although various NFL-specific modifications will reduce this to 75,000 on Sunday).As it has grown, the stadium has been modernized. It now incorporates a fitness center and a Marriott hotel, with suites looking out over the field. But this is not a place that has lost touch with its history. The east stand is home to the World Rugby Museum, where Phil McGowan, who authored a history of the stadium in 2014, works as the interpretation and education officer. McGowan is quick to point out that at least one part of Twickenham remains forever unchanged.The pitch is still in the exact same place as it was in 1909, McGowan said. The grass itself has been relaid many times over, and in 2012, it was upgraded with a partially artificial base that helps to keep the playing surface in better condition. Otherwise, McGowan said, Its still exactly the same height. When theres a game, theyre still playing on top of the old dirt dug out from the Metropolitan line.That field has been the stage for iconic rugby games, from Englands win over Wales in Twickenhams first full international game, in 1910, right through to World Cup games in 1991, 1999 and 2015. And yet some of the most important chapters in its history have nothing to do with rugby. During World War I, Twickenham was used by the British army to graze and train horses before they were sent out to the front.Then, during the second world war, the whole stadium was given over to the war office, and it became a civil service depot, McGowan said. The West Car Park was turned into a coal dump. The fire brigade took over the south terrace and put all their vehicles underneath, which were then used during the Blitz. The west stand was turned into a medical response center, so there were lots of hospital beds put there, to be used in the event of a chemical attack in London.Only the RFU secretary remained in his office, which he kept to himself. After the war had finished, there are photos with the roofs of the stands covered in holes from shrapnel damage during the Blitz. That was the case for 20, 30 years after -- you could see these patched-up holes in the roof of the stands.Bathing in a century of historyThe Rams and Giants are not in London for a history lesson. It seems unlikely that players will use what little free time they do have to visit the World Rugby Museum. But they will get at least a flavor of what makes this place unique as they make their way into the stadium.On the drive in, team buses are routed through the West Car Park. This is the spot where fans gather before games to eat and drink before kickoff.If that sounds like a familiar ritual to any NFL fan, then the devil is in the detail. Rugby union, in part because of its long-standing commitment to amateurism that lasted right up until the mid-1990s -- with the effect that only those with money could afford to give up the time required to compete at a high level -- has historically drawn a well-heeled crowd. Instead of beer and brats, the West Car Park was famous for champagne and caviar.I mean, its tailgating in the States, isnt it? Martin Johnson, a former World Cup-winning captain for England, said with a chuckle. But its having a spot of lunch in the West Car Park at Twickenham.The scene has become less genteel in recent years, with food concessions and beer tents encroaching into areas where parking is no longer permitted. It might look different this Sunday, in any case, with the NFL using that area for its own official tailgate.Once inside the stadium, though, players will walk down a tunnel adorned with great names and games from English rugby history. Inside the home locker room, cubicles are adorned with the names of the countrys most capped players at each position. An adjoining corridor carries the list of every player who ever represented England.More vivid than any of these things might be the two standalone iron baths positioned beside the new hydrotherapy baths in the home locker room. First purchased back as part of a set of six in 1931, these were for many decades the primary means of players getting clean after a game. They would be half-filled with cold water before kickoff, then topped up with hot at full-time.For a lot of the boys, that used to be part of the fun after a game, Johnson said. Just to sit in there and soak it all up. When they rebuilt the west stand in the 1990s, we didnt know if they would keep them. While they were doing it, [then England prop] Jason Leonard tried to walk off with one. He drove up with his van and tried to take one away. But they caught him in the act.Anyway, when they rebuilt the stand, they did put a couple of them back in there. But now theyve started filling the baths with ice instead of warm water, so its not quite so good!A surprising hymnSundays game will be preceded, as with every other NFL International Series game in London, with the singing of both the American and British national anthems. But perhaps the most fascinating question before this game at Twickenham is whether there will be enough rugby fans in the crowd to follow that up with another song that has become a part of the lore of this place.A rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,?the spiritual originally sung by slaves in the U.S. in the 19th century,?became the unofficial anthem of English rugby more than a century later.Precisely how that happened is a matter of dispute. The most popular story has it that the song was first introduced to Twickenham by a group of schoolboys celebrating a virtuoso performance by Chris Oti, Englands first black player in more than 80 years, against Ireland in 1988.Whatever the truth of that account, however, it is known that Swing Low, Sweet Chariot had been sung in English rugby clubhouses for years before it became associated with the national team. Johnson recalls it being popular when he was playing as teenager in the 1980s.Ill be frank, when most teams used to do it, that used to involve taking their clothes off, as well, he said. That was part of it. It was with a few pints, and half the time half the team would be naked by the end.Stripping in the stands at Twickenham is generally frowned upon -- even if one exhibit in the World Rugby Museum does claim that this stadium was the setting for the first streaker at a professional sporting event. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, however, has persisted to this day.Ive been lucky enough to play for England against New Zealand at Twickenham, said Northampton back Ben Foden. Obviously, they have the Haka [New Zealands pregame war dance], which is something thats steeped in tradition, as well. But when they do that at Twickenham, our fans always sing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot at the top of their lungs to drown it out. Its pretty special. You really notice the crowd and the impact they can have on a game.When planning out Twickenhams latest major redesign, in 1988, architect Terry Ward stated his intention to create a stadium for England that would give them a five-point advantage in every home game. Whether he succeeded on that front is difficult to quantify, but certainly he created a venue that can get deafeningly loud at times.That much will be nothing new to NFL players. But a round of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot would certainly feel unique. English fans serenaded Argentina and Australia with the song during that game earlier this month at Twickenham. What sort of cathedral, after all, would let a new congregation leave without hearing its most stirring hymn? Cheap Nike Air Max 270 . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Fake Nike Air Max 270 . 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Nike Air Max 270 From China .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park.Leeds prop Mitch Garbutt made the headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was sent off during the World Club Challenge clash against North Queensland. It was not a good night for the Rhinos, who lost 38-4 against the NRL champions after going into the break at 4-4 apiece. The night got worse for them when Garbutt was sent off in the 71st minute for punching James Tamou after he reacted to Tamou slapping his team-mate Keith Galloway. Garbutt, who joined Leeds from Brisbane Broncos, has been given a two-match ban and has issued an apology saying it was a silly thing to do.While tempers may boil over on the pitch, the players are totally different off the pitch and Garbutt and Tamou met in the tunnel after the game, shook hands and exchanged jerseys.The punch and the subsequent dismissal caused massive debate on whether a punch should be an immediate red card, no matter the circumstances.Our rugby league panel - some who have thrown and taken a few punches themselves - give their views. Should a punch be a straight red? Vote Yes or No on our Twitter Poll @SkySportsRL or give us your comments below.Terry OConnor: NOI have no problem with fights during games (not on a regular occurrence though). The sin-bin was, and still is, sufficient punishment. If you are playing a tough contact sport, then sometimes it will boil over. The spectacle isnt ruined on the pitch and lets not forget that neutrals admire the players who at the end of the game shake hands and walk off together before sharing a pint in the bar. As I stated in commentary, I do not condone violent, unprovoked attacks but you are responsible for your actions and if someone retaliates, then - as they say in Widnes - youre fir game.Brian Carney: NOI would not make EVERY punch an automatic red. Judge every punch on the circumstances in which it was thrown. There will be instances in which self-defence is a legitimate justification for throwing a punch back. I would not like to see a red card for the victim in a case llike that.dddddddddddd In summary, I do not believe EVERY punch should be an automatic red. Phil Clarke: YESYes, without a doubt. We now live in an age where one punch can kill out on the street at a weekend and we have to show that it is unacceptable.Jon Wells: NOPunching on the field = 10 minutes to cool off. Punches come from frustration as often as with malice and the sin-bin is the correct starting point. We are a sport that is the envy of many, but we need to ensure future generations are not put off by being soft on acts of aggression that are nothing to do with the laws of the game.Barrie McDermott: NONo, it shouldnt be a straight red for every punch or fight - 10 minutes is sufficient. It is not the street and its not a true point of reference to say if it happened in the street as on the field, you are in an arena of combat. If it is two players fighting, it should be dealt with differently than for instance somebody hitting an opponent from behind. Aggression should be controlled but inevitably sometimes players over-step the mark. My personal opinion is that common sense on punching is paramount - our sport is not black and white and it is fuelled by emotion. Given time to calm down, the majority of players will get back on task. The minute you take away emotion, we lose the best aspects of our game.Have your say. Vote Yes or No on our Twitter Poll @SkySportsRL or give us your comments below. Get Sky Sports Join us and watch the Super League live on Sky Sports. Fast and easy online upgrade - click here Also See: Garbutt apologises for punch WATCH: Top Five Tries WATCH: Barrie and Terrys hits Follow @SkySportsRL ' ' '