KEY POINTS:
The iniquitous World Cup draw is hard to ignore.
The bloated format of the 20-team tournament is supposed to help the developing nations but it seems they are more like convenient scapegoats.
We have pulled into Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France, to see if Argentina can continue their victory path against Georgia today, which would keep the heat on the host nation in their Pool of Death.
The Pumas have grown into a team which has caused many problems for France, but they are not well supported on the global calendar by the International Rugby Board.
It is perplexing that they should play their second game before Tonga, Fiji and Romania even start their World Cup campaigns.
The lopsided draw is even worse for Portugal, the vigorous team of amateurs meeting the All Blacks this weekend in Lyon. They finish their four-game trip in 16 days, while others like the US and Georgia have two pool games left. Samoa also end their pool in 17 days.
You have to believe the major nations would grizzle loudly if they were asked to complete that sort of compressed timetable.
Defending champions England have the most condensed programme of the major countries with a 20-day run, while the All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks and Ireland have 21 days to complete their pool, and hosts France have 23 days to reach their quarter-final fate.
The All Blacks will arrive later this week to gorge themselves on Los Lobos, who were all things gallant against a modest Scotland side but lost a World Cup qualifying match 83-0.
That lack of clout from Italy was most disappointing from a team which has carried the flag for expansion in the Six Nations, but were blown away as easily as if they were in the first game of the 1987 World Cup.
There were signs Canada and the US might manage the unthinkable, until they were sawn off by an unconvincing Wales and England.
Those battles went to sides with more resources, though there has been heavy criticism of a cumbersome England who could not score a try in the last 30 minutes to claim a bonus point.
The Springboks soaked up the initial Samoan onslaught and then drove through, over and around their rivals with Bryan Habana's speed suggesting they will be too effective for England in Paris on Saturday.
This will be the first real gauge of the levels between the north and south, the first inquisition of whether England can slow the game down and manufacture enough territory to frustrate the South Africans.
Then there's the question that has besotted England for four years. Will Jonny Wilkinson make it on to the park after his latest injury, and will the five-eighths make a difference?
