Look back at the names - among them Tagaloa, Vaega, Bunce, Lima, Bachop, Vaea, Lam, Vaifale, Perelini and Fatialofa. It was a pretty decent side by most standards.
Since making the quarter-finals that year, and again four years later in South Africa, Samoa have slipped a shade, failing to make the knockout rounds in the last three events.
Which is not to say South Africa and Wales will approach their pool D contests with the Samoans full of joy.
Samoa beat Wales 38-31, also in Cardiff in 1999. Do you think Wales are wondering what's in store in Hamilton on September 18?
The clash with the Springboks at North Harbour Stadium is close to a sellout; the island square-off against Fiji at Eden Park similarly popular.
When Samoa beat Australia in Sydney a few weeks ago, it opened up a fresh line of thinking about the Pacific Islanders' cup possibilities.
Samoa love a physical game - best epitomised by the ferocious tackling of players like Brian Lima, aka The Chiropractor - and that won't change.
But in players like halfback Kahn Fotuali'i, fullback Paul Williams, burly wing Alesana Tuilagi, and skipper and midfield back Seilala Mapusua, Samoa have sharp attackers.
(Should Samoa meet England in a semifinal, imagine Tuilagi banging bodies with his younger, but just as bruising brother Manu, the English centre.)
Mapusua, late of Otago and the Highlanders, and more recently London Irish, is off to Japan after the tournament.
A number of his squad are dotted around the globe. How well they gel could decide their progress.
This will be the next best thing to playing at home for Samoa; Kane Thompson, George and Tusi Pisi, Mahonri Schwalger, Filipo Levi, Joe Tekori, Anthony Perenise, Ti'i Paulo, Johnny Leota, Taiasina Tuifua, Augustino Polu and Tasesa Lavea have strong New Zealand links. Mapusua is taking the positive line on that.
"A lot of us have said in the past that this is as close to a home World Cup as we'll get, and it is a home World Cup for a lot of the boys who were born and raised in New Zealand, so it's really exciting for us, and for our people too," Mapusua said.
He knows some ground needs to be regained after a disappointing 2007 campaign.
"I think we really let ourselves down at the last World Cup.
"So there's a lot of motivation going into this one. There's an agreement amongst the boys that it's about time we fulfilled our potential as this is possibly our last one together."
What price a happy last run around the block in the place many of them call home?
Fixtures:
Group D
Wednesday September 14 v Namibia, Rotorua International Stadium (Rotorua)
Sunday September 18 v Wales, Waikato Stadium (Hamilton)
Sunday September 25 v Fiji, Eden Park (Auckland)
Friday September 30 v South Africa, North Harbour Stadium (Auckland)
- HERALD ONLINE
