RWC and 'The Minnows'

Well, after looking at point differentials in the RWC, one notes that over 13 games there was an average of 40.6 in differential spread.  Announcers were regularly heard to applaud the IRB with the "narrowing of the gap" but really?  Rumour of quality salaries for coaches in Tier 2 countries abound and of course, the IRB has sent personnel from England (??) and elsewheres to assit with programs.  One cannot be accused of objectively musing that it is all a big circus to fill the coffers.  Of course it is fun to see Uruguay continuing to put it to England after 75 minutes and a fifty point deficit and of course it is great for those players who had earned their presence via elimination matches, to be part of the show.  Realistically, the victorious nation will come from no more than five or six at the outside.  So all of the tourism, fol-de-rol and energy it trumps up is more about the event perhaps than the performances within the event.  This being said, Japan's heroics were sheer champagne and Samoa's match against Scotland almost achieved the seemingly (on paper and form), the impossible.  Outside of these two efforts and the odd effort in between, U.S. vs Scotland, Canada vs France, the difference when big played little was very noticeable.  The question begs, where do we go from here?  Can The Minnows narrow the gap and if so, how?  There are four years to answer this one and in the mean time we have the spectacle of rugby sevens at the Olympic Games.  The game is certainly a global affair.