The result, secured thanks to Pumas tries by Felipe Contepomi and Omar Hasan in the first half and Federico Martin Aramburu, Ignacio Corleto and Contepomi again in the second, brought back memories of the shock 17-12 win earned by the South Americans on the tournament's opening night.

Contepomi added three conversions and a penalty to give himself a 19-point personal haul for the night, while Les Bleus could only manage a try from Clement Poitrenaud - converted by Lionel Beauxis - and a Jean-Baptiste Elissalde penalty.

Les Bleus could have scored a couple of early tries but loose passing was ruthlessly punished by Argentina, who scored two tries in four minutes around the half-hour mark.

Contepomi, who had levelled matters with a 22nd-minute penalty, was the first player to go over, running onto a delayed Agustin Pichot pass to force himself over in the left corner.

Then, after Juan Martin Hernandez had crashed a drop goal against the post, the Pumas retook possession and prop Hasan was there at the bottom of a pile of bodies to ground.

The half ended with Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Raphael Ibanez receiving yellow cards after another heated exchange as Argentina kept France out after several minutes of pressure to leave the score at 17-3.

Argentina went further ahead when Aurelien Rougerie's chip-and-chase was fielded by Felipe Contepomi before Corleto set off on a magnificent 50-yard winding run.

The ball was fired out to the right - through the hands of Manuel Contepomi and Hernandez - to Aramburu, who jinked inside Dominici to ground.

Juan Manuel Leguizamon was sin-binned for late tackle on substitute Sebastien Chabal but Argentina crossed again despite the numerical deficit.

Off turnover ball, Horacio Agulla was set clear down the left. His inside pass was taken by Corleto and just as he did in the opening game of the tournament, he scorched past the covering defence to dive over in the corner.

The try France probably deserved came in the 69th minute, the recalled Poitrenaud easing over in the left corner following an initial Imanol Harinordoquy break.

The night belonged to the Pumas, though, and Contepomi rounded things off with his second try of the night with three minutes left to add insult to injury for the French.