For two minutes and eight seconds, Mexico could dream. The minnows were competing with the best sevens team in the world, and holding their own. One second later came stark reality, Reupena Levasa swiveling his hips and charging for the first of three tries.
Mexico must have been cursing their mala suerte when they saw the draw for their debut appearance. 'Yeah, you're going to start your campaign against Samoa, the reigning Hong Kong and IRB World Series champions, packed with power and pace and with perhaps the best forward trio in the game - problem?'
After Levasa provided the rude awakening, the next 12 minutes of action must have seemed like a recurring nightmare to Los Serpientes, who were, unsurprisingly, simply unable to cope with the Pacific Islanders. They gave their all, Samoans simply bulldozed to the line at will, bodies hanging off them but impeding their progress not a jot.
It was 21-0 at half-time, Uale Mai and Lolo Lui (two) chalking up some more tries to their already massive haul in sevens rugby, and you felt the Samoans had hardly moved out of third gear. So it proved when they added another 43 points in the second half, through Levasa (two), Tom Iosefo (two), Afa Aiono and Ofisa Treviranus.
'It's a lesson in physicality and intensity,' admitted a rueful Mexico coach Simon Pierre. 'Our guys are pretty young, they don't play rugby until fairly late rugby-development-wise. We're still working step by step, but this was an eye-opener in terms of physicality.
'We couldn't have had a tougher introduction,' he said. 'But why not play against the best, you only learn against the best.'
Samoa were harsh teachers, and not afraid of dishing out a little corporal punishment. They will have to be challenged by tougher opposition before their form can be properly assessed, but at times they dazzled, with Aiono's try, the culmination of a multiple-pass, back-and-forth lateral move in tight space near the corner, perhaps the pick.