Clockwatch

Pre-match: Were Catatonia and Shirley Bassey out of lip sync with the music at the opening ceremony?

6 MINS: First penalty miss. Wales out-half Neil Jenkins finds his normal unerring accuracy deserts him.

14 MINS: First yellow card. Argentinian prop Roberto Grau is the first player to be officially monitored.

14 MINS: First player to appear to get away with gratuitous punching. Welsh flanker Colin Charvis would later be cited along with Grau and both may miss the rest of the tournament if a 30-day ban is imposed.

18 MINS: First points in World Cup. Argentinian out-half Gonzalo Quesada silences 99.5 per cent of the Millennium Stadium crowd.

41 MINS: First try of the tournament. The busy Charvis pops up to crash over. Cue rousing rendition of Bread Of Heaven.

80 MINS, 35 SECS: First referee to be criticised. New Zealander Paddy O'Brien's ears must have been burning as Argentinian assistant coach Alex Wyllie queried his countryman's interpretations of the rucking laws.