All sorts of frothy ideas and conversation erupt before the tournament but those usually shrink as the last eight emerge for the business end of the contest.
When the squeeze goes on, when sudden-death reality stalks every move, practical rugby usually comes to the table. Pragmatic, functional, hard-boiled footy enters the tournament in a big way.
Teams may want to move the ball and stitch adventure into their strategy but sensible and sound usually wins out.
Remember the All Black side of 2003?
They produced some of the most sumptuous rugby you could imagine before that World Cup as they posted 50 points past Wales, the Springboks and Wallabies.
They played with great expression, at pace and all over the park.
That carried into the tournament where they went past 50 in each pool game against Italy, Canada, Tonga and Wales.
They almost got to 30 against the Boks in a quarter-final arm-wrestle before the wheels fell off in the semifinal against the Wallabies.
For the next month we'll see tight matches and blowouts in the pool games before we move into the guts of the tournament where success is marked by results.
Everyone wants to play their best style but the only judgment that counts is the scoreboard.
Remember the latest version of Super Rugby.
The Hurricanes fizzed around the competition and then lost that sparkle against an utterly tenacious Highlanders side who claimed the crown for the first time in their history.
History tells us this World Cup will follow a tournament pattern.
When the finalists square off at Twickenham on November 1, they will have adjusted to the pressure of two playoff matches, other pool games and unpicked their rivals' plans.
They will know what has worked for them under the blowtorch of opposition inquisition and understand the merits of territory and goalkicking.
Style is great when the chances come, but unbeatable basics are better.
They hold up under pressure and allow sides to build momentum and accrue points including tries as a consequence of cementing those foundations.
