0
It's a four-yearly event where the top eight teams in the world compete for a shiny trophy and 12 others provide cannon fodder.
The pool section of the tournament ends tonight with all green and gold-blooded Australians doing what they thought they never would: barracking for Italy to beat Ireland.
Regardless of who Australia play in next weekend's quarter-final, it is the also-rans, the so-called minnows, who are the real story right now.
Anyone who watched Friday night's game between Samoa and South Africa would have been impressed by the Samoans' heart and never-say-die attitude.
Anyone with half a clue would also have been disgusted at the way they were stitched-up by the referee, Welshman Nigel Owens.
In 80 minutes we had a perfect example of everything that is great and horrible at this World Cup.
The greatness came in the shape of a tiny nation taking on a rugby giant and all but pulling off a historic win. It came from cheering crowds with painted faces and waving flags. It came from a host country bending over backwards to make an event that is welcoming and memorable.
On the other side we have the International Rugby Board, which is just as determined to ensure that the minnows don't upset the script.
There were any number of instances in Friday's game in which the referee gave the line-ball decision in favour of the South Africans. There were just as many when there was nothing line-ball about it. He was just plain wrong.
Once he penalised Samoan winger David Lemi for playing the ball after a scything run. It was at a time when the momentum was turning Samoa's way and, had the attack continued, the outcome of the game could have changed. Instead Owens blew his whistle. Replays proved Lemi had not been effectively tackled and was right to play on.
With Samoa on attack seconds from halftime, Owens got too close to the play (a regular occurrence with referees in this tournament) and was struck by the ball. Instead of ruling a scrum to Samoa, he blew halftime and the chance was lost forever.
It was bad refereeing but one has to wonder whether the same calls would have been made if South Africa were the team disadvantaged.
Paranoid? Well why wouldn't you be if you'd been witness to what's been happening over here?
There is no doubt this is not a level playing field.
The smaller countries are given as little as four days' turnaround between games. The world powers get at least seven.
It is dead-set unfair, and when Samoan centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapulu dared to speak out about it after his team went down to Wales on three fewer days' preparation than their opponents, he was hauled over the coals by IRB officials.
These are the same officials who showed their true colours when faced with two disciplinary matters this week. First England were found to be cheating in order to give Jonny Wilkinson an unfair advantage.
The rules clearly state that the football used in scoring a try must be the same one used for the conversion but Jonny has been having his problems with the boot so team management conspired to bring him a ball of his liking that had been picked out before the match.
At the same time, Samoa's Alesana Tuilagi had also been found guilty - of wearing a mouthguard that was a different brand to the one endorsed (for a fee) by the IRB.
The Samoans are here on a shoestring budget raised by raffles and wheelbarrow appeals so it's a wonder Tuilagi (one of the most popular figures of the tournament) could afford to buy his own mouthguard, but that's by the by.
The punishments handed out by the IRB? The English got off with a rap over the knuckles. The two team officials responsible were banned from last night's England-Scotland clash. They had to watch on TV in the bar of their luxury hotel instead. The Samoans were fined $10,000.
That's the way the first half of the tournament has gone. Sadly it will all be forgotten in the hype surrounding the second half. The part the IRB considers the "real" World Cup.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/ru...b05a5f2f93a62c