$10,000 Samoan fine: Justice? Equal treatment? Yeah right.

Alesana Tuilagi's branded mouthguard drew a $10,000 fine from the IRB. Photo / Getty Images

In theory, the bloke exhibiting his artwork in Cuba St is contravening World Cup rules.

His advertising caricature of Ma'a Nonu flouts the far-reaching regulations those in charge of the seventh global tournament are trying to impose.

So far so good for the small gallery; no one from the hit squad has nailed them. Even if the RWC officials arrive they'll probably issue a "don't do it again" notice as they did to a Wellington retail shop this week.

It's not so rosy for the Mermaid strip bar which is staring down a $150,000 fine for ambush marketing. Their crime? Staff wearing abbreviated All Black uniforms handed out two-for-one offers in a "clean zone" near the Cake Tin.

The club was reported to be swamped by zealous spectators after the Springbok-Wales test in the capital, and that and the advertising infraction created public hazards.

On the field, Samoa have been fined $10,000 by the World Cup authorities because wing Alesana Tuilagi wore a branded mouthguard.

Meanwhile England have received a warning and two officials have been banned from the touchline for illegally switching the ball for several conversion attempts.

Justice? Equal treatment? Yeah right.

It's not as if England don't have World Cup form for this sort of thing - remember their 16-man job at the 2003 event.

Fining Samoa for such a pitiful breach is really going to give the game a push in the islands. Yes, Tuilagi erred in not wearing the approved dental cover, but at least he was wearing some.

Who, apart from World Cup witchhunters with telephoto vision, noticed the infraction and at what cost to the goodwill and spirit Samoa have generated at this tournament?

What's wrong with a phone call to Samoa, a stern reminder and warning about their sponsorship obligations?

Samoa and their supporters have been a bright light among the lower-level nations, adding more flair to this event than most bigger sides.

Meanwhile England break the rugby rules and get away with it. They cheat and receive a warning about the breach. Draw your own conclusions. There are the rich and powerful, and there are those who make up the numbers.

Bullies usually hit on the weak or under-privileged as we have seen this week.

Maybe the tournament boffins had run out of their dandy suits or needed some more cash to fill up their hire cars or sort out their five-star hotels.

There are many layers of goodwill at this World Cup from the thousands of volunteers working hard in the frontline to those who have pulled the tournament together.

Then there are those who have no "feel" for the event, but want to exert their authority and deliver pin-pricking judgments.