KEY POINTS:
There are several distinct classes of teams at the World Cup. A small handful are on a mission to lift the Webb Ellis Cup at the cavernous Stade de France on October 20.
Nothing less will do.
Those with a realistic chance of doing that could - on
the evidence thus far - be counted on less than one hand.
Then there are those for whom making a quarter or semifinal will be counted as a successful campaign - or a campaign in which they at least trod water and didn't sink.
Much like English soccer's Premier League, they are the good but not great rugby nations, some with proud histories, but not able to match it with rugby's equivalents of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.
But equally, they are capable of big moments, just not sustained success.
Then there are the others who are in France for the simple delight of playing at rugby's top table. They know there is a limit to what they might achieve. Their horizons are closer than the other countries.
So when you see them get dudded you feel for them.
Take the Romanians against Italy yesterday in Marseille, when tough calls which resulted in a sin-binning and penalty try ruined their chances.
If that was the All Blacks, would they have been so harshly punished? Then there were the Samoans, bitter at New Zealand referee Paul Honiss denying them what they remain convinced was a fair try early in the second half against South Africa in Paris. Heads went down and South Africa ran away with it.
In the first half, Springbok flanker Schalk Burger somehow escaped a card - it could easily have been red, and certainly should have been yellow - for a dreadful midair swinging arm attack on Samoan halfback Junior Poluleuligaga.
Here's a thought: if Burger's name had been Henry Tuilagi, the thunderous Samoan No 8, and Poluleuligaga been named Fourie du Preez, would he have escaped, as Burger did at the time, with a finger wagging from the referee?
Burger did belatedly get cited and copped a four-week ban, reduced on appeal to two. Those two games are prominent examples of what is being talked of as a bias against the minnows.
Claims have been made that referees' arrive with a preconceived idea in the matches between the big and the small. That might be tough on the officials, and plainly they cannot apply separate standards to those less proficient than others.
But they are human, and presumably arrive along with the fans with a fair idea of how those lopsided contests are going to unfold.
"We'd love to see close watching of both teams," Samoa's coach, Michael Jones, said. "We would like to think referees are not going into games with a perception that the lesser teams don't know the rules and are infringing more."
One glorious exception was Argentina, who have been kicked about by the IRB for years. Even at 17-12 up, someone nearby muttered "bet it'll be 18-17 France".
Thankfully not and Argentina gave the cup a superb start - and one in the eye for the big boys.
Then there are the playing schedules. The IRB want the big players in action on weekends, but even so who have the Italians offended? They have three games in 11 days?
The US, having given England a decent battle, are expected to turn up on three days rest to tackle Tonga. Tonga weren't flash, but were able to win.
Japan, whopped 91-3 by Australia, fronted up to Fiji four days later and finished the game striving for the winning try in the most exciting finish of the cup so far.
The All Blacks, England, France and the South Africans ease along at a game a week.
