Fans have seen six closer-than-expected challenges from competition minnows, and the 1987 Cup-winning prop and Romanian assistant coach says that has to be good for the sport.
"Tonga came out and played well and surprised a lot of people, especially the All Blacks," McDowell said.
"There were a lot of good things that came out [of the weekend] and some interesting things to look forward to, so it will be a little bit of a challenge, I think, for [Graham] Henry and his guys."
McDowell said Tonga, Japan, Argentina, Italy, Wales and his own side had shown signs the game was progressing on a global scale.
"The last couple of days have just been fantastic and I think from the IRB's prospective it's very pleasing that the minor teams are challenging so well at the top level," McDowell said.
He said it was important for rugby these sides continued to challenge the "top four".
"It's about keeping this an exciting competition that is not just based around three or four teams.
"That means that the programmes they [IRB] have had in front of them to help develop countries like Romania and Georgia are paying off."
McDowell's last involvement with the Webb Ellis Cup was winning it, but this time his goals are a little more modest.
Hoping to get Romania through pool play as more than just a team that makes up the numbers, he was reasonably happy with how the team performed in its 34-24 loss to Scotland on Saturday in Invercargill.
Romania will play Argentina this weekend, with the Pumas giving 2003 champion England a fright in Dunedin on Saturday night.
"They're [Argentina] a different team compared with Scotland. We really wanted Scotland to come at us and to make that contact.
"Argentina have the ability to spin it wide in their backs and even though some of them are getting on, they're still very gifted."
McDowell said there was no hiding the fact Romania was the underdog in the matches ahead, but it was targeting the Georgia game as the game to win.
"Certainly the Georgian game will be the hardest because they have picked us as a team to beat and we have picked them. It will be brutal, but it will come down to discipline and the skills on the day."