▁a ▁major ▁global ▁sport ing ▁event ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁Also ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁qual ifying ▁compet itions ▁were ▁introduced ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁entr ants ▁had ▁increased ▁from ▁ 1 6 ▁nations ▁four ▁years ▁before ▁to ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 3 3 ▁countries . ▁The ▁eight ▁quarter - final ists ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁qualified ▁automatically ▁with ▁the ▁remaining ▁eight ▁sp ots ▁cont ested ▁through ▁qual ifiers ▁by ▁ 2 5 ▁countries . ▁This ▁however ▁resulted ▁in ▁only ▁one ▁new ▁side ▁qual ifying ▁for ▁the ▁tournament , ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁replacing ▁T ong a . ▁The ▁same ▁ 1 6 - team ▁pool / k no ck - out ▁format ▁was ▁used ▁with ▁just ▁minor ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁points ▁system . ▁ ▁The ▁Pool ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁tournament ▁was ▁nothing ▁like ▁four ▁years ▁earlier , ▁with ▁fewer ▁one - s ided ▁matches . ▁These ▁early ▁stages ▁produced ▁a ▁major ▁shock ▁when ▁Western ▁Sam oa , ▁who ▁were ▁making ▁their ▁debut ▁in ▁the ▁tournament , ▁defeated ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁semi - final ist ▁Wales ▁ 1 6 – 1 3 ▁in ▁Card iff . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁results ▁in ▁the ▁group , ▁this ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁Wales , ▁who ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁Pool ▁ 3 , ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁host ▁nation ▁to ▁be ▁elimin ated ▁in ▁the ▁pool ▁stages ▁of ▁a ▁Rugby ▁World ▁Cup . ▁ ▁Also ▁notable ▁in ▁pool ▁play ▁was ▁that ▁Canada ▁finished ▁second ▁in ▁their ▁pool ▁to ▁qual