Mike Petri of the US drives toward the try line to score during a pool C match against Russia Thursday. US won 13-6. Photo: AFP

Rugby's minnows are the revelation of this World Cup but many are hampered by tight scheduling which has left them facing two games in one week, while the sport's giants have twice as long to recover.

Highlights of the first week's clashes saw lesser powers such as Japan, Romania and Tonga trouble the leading teams, but their huge efforts to close the gap risk being undermined by the two-tier scheduling system.

Canada play France on Sunday, giving them just three days to rest after Wednesday's sensational win over Tonga - who had only four days to recuperate from Friday's bone-crunching loss to the All Blacks.

Tonga coach Isitolo Maka brought in 11 new players for the Canada game, saying he needed "fresh legs" after Friday's opener against New Zealand.

"It makes me laugh really when tier-two countries have four-day turnarounds and all the tier-one countries have seven-day turnarounds and eight-day turnarounds," said Canada coach Kieran Crowley.

US captain Todd Clever admitted "it hasn't been ideal" to play Ireland and Russia within five days, while Georgia coach Richie Dixon bemoaned a schedule which has his team playing Scotland and England in the same week.

"The draw has not been kind to us and some of the other teams but you have to live in the real world and just get on with it really," Dixon said.

Tournament spokesman Mike Jaspers said organizers were aware of the frustrations but they believed they had produced the "best balanced schedule to date for a rugby World Cup."

Only five teams have 14 rest days or less in the month-long pool stage, down from seven in 2007, he said. But Jasper added that TV audiences - dependent on heavyweights playing at weekends - were a major factor in the scheduling.

"This is a tournament with global interest, not just New Zealand. Factors considered were fan appeal, broadcast and commercial considerations as well as player welfare," he said.

"The broadcast revenues that are generated by scheduling around the top nations matches are reinvested by the IRB (International Rugby Board) to increase the competitiveness of the so-called smaller nations."

But most players and coaches appear to accept the difficulties as a reality of a growing game, and are proudly determined not to blame scheduling for their performances.

Agencies