When they played the All Blacks in Apia earlier this year, it presented two recurring questions: why won't more leading sides commit to playing in the Islands and just how good could Samoa be if they were given a decent fixture list?
Using the World Cup as a catalyst for change worked for Argentina in 2007. For years, they had fruitlessly been campaigning for inclusion in either the Six Nations or Tri Nations. And for years they were palmed off.
The Europeans said they couldn't accommodate a Southern Hemisphere nation and the Sanzar allies said the Pumas were better suited to playing in the north as the bulk of their players were contracted to clubs there. This went on for years until the Pumas stormed the 2007 World Cup, topping their pool and then making the semifinals, further than the All Blacks and Wallabies.
World Rugby had no choice then but to lead Sanzar to the negotiating table and finally reach agreement that Argentina would be part of a new Southern Hemisphere competition from 2012.
Samoa find themselves in a situation that's not dissimilar. They have the playing resources to be a top-10 nation. What they lack is regular, meaningful tests to find a true spot in the world rankings.
And that's the root of nearly all their problems.
Without a competition, the battle to entice eligible players is harder. They don't have certainty and that often leaves players concluding the incentive to play for Samoa is not as strong as the disincentive.
The catch for Samoan players is that, typically, when they start showing up on the international radar, their clubs start making financial threats if they disappear to play for their country.
Then there's the bigger financial issue that, without competition, Samoa can't raise revenue in the same way major nations do. They travel to Europe in November and don't see a cent, but no one really reciprocates by playing in Samoa during the June window.
Clearly, this situation can't go on. Samoa proved in July they can host a major test and there's no reason why they can't host more.
They have also fixed their administrative and high-performance failings. In terms of the former, a historic agreement was recently signed that has given the players guarantees about payment, training, accommodation and general expectations.
The arrival of former All Black Alama Ieremia has also given them a better insight into player management and development.
For the first time, Samoa have come into a World Cup on the back of a considered plan that saw many of their older players left to rest during the Pacific Nations Cup.
The boxes that need to be ticked have been and, of all the emerging nations, Samoa have the strongest case to be hauled up into the top tier.
A huge World Cup campaign would help their cause immeasurably, just as it did Argentina.
If they can beat Scotland, they should make the quarter-finals. Who knows what might happen if they make the last eight?
Even getting to the last eight would be enough to put the pressure on for Samoa to be given the same leg-up Argentina received.
The game needs another serious contender and it's not going to be the US for some time yet. And nor is it going to be Japan.
Those two offer economic rather than rugby treasures. Samoa, on the other hand, offer physicality, flair and excitement.
They have the player base, growing coaching capital and everything they need to sustain a top-10 place.
Everything, that is, except test matches.
