Rugby World Cup: Samoa, Fiji and Tonga should really have done better

IRB must look at how it treats the smaller teams. Photo / Alan Gibson

Fiji versus Wales should have been a World Cup highlight. It wasn't, as Wales piled on the points in an impressive but horribly one-sided victory in the wet and gloom at Waikato Stadium yesterday.

The Pacific Island teams have all failed to reach the quarter-finals. This compares poorly with tournaments past, where Fiji and Samoa reached the quarter-finals twice.

This tournament should have been a festival within a festival, celebrating Pacific rugby. Samoa and Tonga did eventually provide a lot, but it was too late.

Samoa's smashing performance against South Africa was the Pacific highlight, even though Tonga's victory over a weak French side may appear the better result on paper.

Samoa were absolutely superb at Albany, hitting the world champions hard in defence and attack. South Africa bravely resisted a physical test that many leading countries - think Australia here - would very likely have failed.

I heard a suggestion that the Samoans were reportedly telling each other on the field: "They're scared of us". South Africa bore the scars of battle.

The Pacific teams do have a couple of highlights to reflect on, yet why didn't Samoa fire up against Wales, and why did ponderous Tonga give the All Blacks so much leeway?

Samoa, Fiji and Tonga should have done better. In particular, Samoa were limp in their vital game against Wales, Tonga didn't challenge the All Blacks when it counted, and the Samoa-Fiji clash was flat.

The IRB continues to stack the draw against the smaller teams, giving them less rest leading up to big matches. This simply has to change because the World Cup should be a level playing field.

The Pacific Island teams could have helped themselves more though. Fiji were awful in Hamilton against a well-organised and energetic Welsh outfit who have emerged as final prospects.

Wales can barge the ball forward, especially through massive inside centre Jamie Roberts. He will never go down as a prince of centres, but is the king of the crash ball.

Around that they have spots of class, especially rising loose forward Sam Warburton, the captain, and teenage wing George North. But Fiji's tackling was terrible and their strange penchant for chip kicks disastrous. Their amazing 2007 tournament, where they beat Wales and challenged eventual winners South Africa, was a distant memory.

The challenge for the IRB - if it genuinely wants to encourage growth in the game and show respect to its smaller nations - is to find ways of including these teams as regular members of the international rugby community. This in turn will help them win normal status with referees - the smaller nations don't get the rub of the green with whistlers.

The dubious calls don't stop there. The IRB's $10,000 fine on a Samoan player for wearing an inappropriately branded mouthguard would have been funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

Have you ever tried to spot the advertising on a mouthguard?

Come the next World Cup, the Pacific Island teams will - hopefully - find new bite on the field and in the boardroom.