A hollowness ran through the IRB's showcase weekend of test rugby - an awareness that the club game in these parts holds all the power and has the capacity to rain on the big parade.
The unprecedented 48 hours of international action was designed to give the minnows the top class fixtures they crave and to give the Brits a taste of what to expect at the next World Cup. This was the breakthrough moment, the time to celebrate that the IRB had finally thought beyond the self-interest and self-preservation mentality of their fading elite and given the emerging forces of Pasifika and Eastern Europe a decent crack at climbing the rankings.
Except that for all the good intention the governing body is still destined to fail in its quest.
The allegations that came out of France of leading Parisian club Racing Metro bribing Pacific Island players to miss last year's World Cup are a huge concern.
It wasn't a surprise to hear the claims - similar stories surface after every tournament. Since the dawn of the professional age, European clubs have pressured Tier Two international players in many ways.