England rugby coach Clive Woodward oversees a highly professional unit whose impressive World Cup budget extends to a chef and a "vision coach."
Samoa coach John Boe has to make do without his best-known player, who has refused to play at the tournament because he needs to keep earning money at his English club. Both men believe the gulf between the "haves" and "have nots" of world rugby is a problem for the game's governing body, but Woodward is not sure it's any of his business.
"If I was employed by the IRB, yes I would be extremely worried about it and I would be doing something about it -- as it is I'm coaching the England rugby team so there's not a lot I can do about it," said Woodward.
"If I was doing another person's job it would concern me greatly. It isn't my issue but clearly it is an issue and that question should be directed to the International Rugby Board."
England's opening Pool C match is Oct. 12 against impoverished Georgia with Samoa, minus stars including hooker Trevor Leota, also in the pool.
Leota said he would have lost ?25,000 (US$41,600) if he left his Wasps club to play for Samoa at the World Cup.
In August, the Samoan rugby chief executive Phillip Muller warned the IRB that his team would be forced to withdraw from test rugby unless it was given aid.
He said Samoa would lose money by hosting tours, struggled to find money to play abroad and did not have the resources to make the most of television revenue.
Boe acknowledged here that Samoa, a two-time quarterfinalist and the No. 10-ranked team, was perhaps preparing for its last World Cup.
"I do look toward the IRB -- they have a responsibility to foster the global game and I'm sure they won't shirk that responsibility," said Boe. "It's too important. We can't have a World Cup where there's only four or five teams competing so I'm quite hopeful they will help us."
IRB spokesman Chris Rea has denied the governing body is ignoring the issue.
"It is not a question of not being interested, far from it," he said. "There is grave concern but ... we can only do what we are empowered to do."
Critics believe the move to professionalism has led to a greater gulf between nations.
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