Shane Williams column: Give Tier Two heroes games against the best

The underdogs have done their job – now it’s time for World Rugby to do theirs if we’re going to make the World Cup a truly global event. Japan showed the world what can be achieved with ‘that’ win over South Africa.
I was at the stadium in Brighton that day and you cannot under-estimate what that result did for rugby, and not just in Japan.
It was a message that this tournament can be so thrilling and exciting when you don’t know who is going to win.
Now let’s build on that result as well as the performances of so many other teams.
Fiji were such great value against England and Australia that it’s a shame they were drawn in such a tough pool. I would have tipped them to get out of any other group in this World Cup.
Georgia are really building something, Romania were no mugs against France and who would have thought Namibia would find a way through the All Blacks?
So what do we do? How do we help these countries?
Well the first thing is that we simply have to give them more games against Tier One nations.
Romania had not played a top side since the last World Cup four years ago. Now we suddenly expect them to turn up and play not just one but TWO in the space of FIVE DAYS. Come on, that’s just not fair.
Namibia were in a similar position and had not played a top side since 2011.
I know World Rugby have organised events and competitions such as the Pacific Nations Cup, the Pan-American and European Nation Cup.
But unless these teams start facing top sides on a more regular basis, they will always find that gap too big to cross every four years.
Warren Gatland said as much with Wales. He wanted every opportunity possible to face the All Blacks, Springboks or Wallabies.
In return, all the big sides have to make room for a game against Japan or Romania or Georgia every autumn.
It may not bring in the big bucks like a Test against the All Blacks, but we have a responsibility to grow the game and that cannot come second to revenue. Those countries need the money just as much as us – perhaps more.