Uruguay win a great advert for how Rugby World Cup looks to close the gap, not the door on emerging teams

Fiji's centre Levani Botia (L) is is tackled by Uruguay's centre Juan Manuel Cat during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Fiji and Uruguay at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi. AFP

Local rugby fans wave the 'Tairyo-Bata', or good harvest flags, prior to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group D game between Fiji and Uruguay at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. Getty Images

Uruguay players stand as Fiji players perform the Cibi prior to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group D game between Fiji and Uruguay at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. Getty Images

Fiji's Leone Nakarawa is tackled by Uruguay's Andres Vilaseca and Santiago Civetta. Reuters

Fiji's Mesulame Dolokoto in action with Uruguay's Mateo Sanguinetti. Reuters

Mosese Voka of Fiji is tackled during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group D game between Fiji and Uruguay at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. Getty Images

Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko in the stands, Fiji v Uruguay - Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Japan. Reuters

Fans pose for a photograph at the Fiji v Uruguay game, Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Japan. Reuters

Players of Fiji, in white observe a silence of one minute for the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, ahead of a Rugby World Cup Pool D match in Kamaishi, northern Japan. In the small fishing town, more than 1,000 were killed by the earthquake and tsunami. AP Photo

Juan Manuel Cat of Uruguay leans to score a try during the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Fiji and Uruguay in Kamaishi, northern Japan. AP

Jele Vatubua of Fiji is tackled during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group D game between Fiji and Uruguay at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. Getty Images

Felipe Berchesi of Uruguay scores off a penalty against Fiji during the Rugby World Cup match between Fiji and Uruguay in Kamaishi, Japan. EPA

Dominiko Waqaniburotu of Fiji is tackled by Facundo Gattas of Uruguay during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group D game between Fiji and Uruguay at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan. Getty Images

Fiji's flanker Mosese Voka (C) is tackled by Uruguay's lock Ignacio Dotti (R) and Uruguay's centre Juan Manuel Cat (L) during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Fiji and Uruguay at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi. AFP

Fiji's Api Ratuniyarawa is tackled, Fiji v Uruguay - Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Japan. Reuters

Filipo Nakosi (R) of Fiji in action against Felipe Berchesi (L) of Uruguay during the Rugby World Cup match between Fiji and Uruguay in Kamaishi, Japan. EPA

Uruguay's Ignacio Dotti and Fiji's Dominiko Waqaniburotu jump in a line out, Fiji v Uruguay - Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Japan. REUTERS

Fiji's centre Jale Vatubua (R) is is tackled by Uruguay's centre Juan Manuel Cat during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Fiji and Uruguay at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Kamaishi. AFP

Uruguay's Juan Manuel Cat scores their third try, Fiji v Uruguay - Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, Kamaishi, Japan. REUTERS

If I had any personal doubt if my love of Fiji had diminished after three years since leaving the islands, then my central nervous system was not on the same page during the Uruguay game.

My nerves were fretted as I watched a heroic Uruguay performance upset the coconut cart and deliver one of the biggest upsets in Rugby World Cup history.

Fiji were not really at the races. They had a few excuses - the four-day turnaround after the exhausting Australian defeat, and their entire first choice back-row unavailable, including the concussed Peceli Yato after the tackle by Reece Hodge, who has since been banned for three weeks.

However they should have absorbed that all, got a good win, and move on to Georgia then a possibly seismic game against Wales.

I’m so disappointed for the entire group. Now all they can do is control the controllables, go for two wins from their remaining fixtures and see if that will be enough to get them through.

For Uruguay, they will be buoyed by this amazing victory but they now suffer the four-day turnaround and I’m afraid that will mean their opponents Georgia will have a couple of upper hands.

I still think the game has a huge gap between top eight to 10 and the rest, and there is an argument for a reduced 10-team tournament.

But that would really diminish the spirit of expanding the game, and I’m not for that. I don’t like seeing big mismatches and the New Zealand v Namibia match, for example, will probably go over a century of points for the All Blacks.

But I’d rather try to think of ways to close the gap than cast the lower-ranked teams away.

I didn’t enjoy the result of the game, but the joy from the Uruguay team was heart-warming and good for the soul. Just what the World Cup is here for.

Ben Ryan coached Fiji to Olympic gold in Rio in 2016, and won the Dubai Rugby Sevens four times - twice with England, and twice with Fiji