Contepomi French tormentor-in-chief

Argentina 41 France 13:FELIPE CONTEPOMI was outstanding as four-try Argentina crushed France in a one-off Test at Velez Sarsfield soccer stadium on Saturday. Captain Contepomi collected two tries, five penalties and three conversions to pass 500 international points as his side bounced back from their 2-0 home series defeat by Scotland.

Neither team managed to get anywhere near the try line until France were down to 13 men two minutes from the end of the first half. Florian Fritz had been sent off after 35 minutes and a team- mate was also lying injured when Juan Fernandez Lobbe dived over to make it 19-6 at half-time.

Contepomi then ran 30 yards and avoided three tackles to score under the posts eight minutes into the second half, then claimed his second try 19 minutes later after again outpacing the opposition.

Lucas Amorosino scored Argentina’s other try, while Julien Malzieu touched down for France.

The defeat completed a miserable mini-tour for the Grand Slam champions, who were also hammered 42-17 by South Africa in Cape Town a fortnight ago.

“It’s desolation,” said stunned France coach Marc Lievremont. “I don’t know how we could sink so badly in these few weeks, to suffer two points records in South Africa and now here in Argentina.

“I expected tough matches, but these defeats are ridiculous. It was a nightmare.”

France skipper Thierry Dusautoir was equally despondent.

“When you concede 40 points in two successive Tests, there isn’t a lot to say,” he said.

ARGENTINA:Rodriguez; Amorosino, Tiesi, Fernandez, Carballo; Contepomi, Vergallo; Roncero, Ledesma, Scelzo, Carizza, Albacete, Fessia, Campos, Fernandez Lobbe. Replacements: Leguizamon for Campos (55 mins), Figallo for Scelzo (56 mins), Ayerza for Roncero (62 mins), Creevy for Ledesma (65 mins), Agulla for Fernandez (77 mins).

FRANCE:Porical; Clerc, Fritz, Mazars, Malzieu; Trinh-Duc, Parra; Barcella, Szarzewski, Mas, Pape, Nallet, Dusautoir, Picamoles, Bonnaire. Replacements: Poitrenaud for Mazars, Pierre for Nallet, Lamboley for Bonnaire (all 50 mins), Yachvili for Parra, Guirado for Szarzewski (both 61 mins), Poux for Mas (72). Sin Bin: Fritz (36). Attendance: 32,460

Referee:S Dickinson (Australia).