It was a classical case of deja vu - though referee Tony Spreadbury wouldn’t know what the expression means.

World Cup hosts France beaten in their opening game by a team they were expected to hammer. Remember Senegal beating the French in the 2002 football World Cup - though admittedly it wasn't on their own territory.

This time the villains of the piece were Argentina, and once again their victory was thoroughly deserved. Tactically they got it right, while France turned in a mistake-riddled display and wasted just about every chance that came their way.

'The Pumas also defended like tigers, never more so than when the French forwards battered away at their line early in the second half'


The Six Nations champions, twice conquerors of reigning champions England in recent weeks, couldn’t even muster a try in the entire 80 minutes. And they gifted Argentina their scintillating touchdown by Ignacio Corleto when Damien Traille made a superb break, then saw his pass intercepted and the Pumas pounce with deadly speed.

OK, we all knew Argentina were no pushovers. They beat Ireland (albeit not at full strength) in a two-Test series in the summer and were only narrowly defeated by Wales in Cardiff a couple of weeks ago. But the fact is that France underestimated them on the night…and seemed to think they only had to take the field to win convincingly.

But it would still be premature to rule out a repeat of the ultimate outcome in 1998, when France’s soccer kings went on to win the World Cup. They can still qualify for the quarter-finals - but it is going to be so much more difficult now.

In the event, fly-half David Skrela never got going on the night and it was only when he was replaced by the more experienced Frederic Michalek in the last quarter that you sensed they might just achieve the breakthrough they so desperately wanted.

At the other end, the Pumas, for whom scrum-half Agustin Pichot was a superb pivot, were content to let the points build up through Felipe Conteponi’s golden boot. Four penalties plus Corleto’s try proved more than enough on the night, with France’s replies all coming from Skrela penalties. He and Michalak both missed kickable shots which could have given France victory. But it would have been an injustice had the pulsating Pumas lost.

They did more than stop France - they produced some great attacking play of their own on the break and might well have scored a second try had Corleto’s rushed pass to Conteponi not gone to ground with the French line in sight.

They also defended like tigers (sorry, Pumas) never more so than when the French forwards battered away at their line early in the second half only to be repulsed time after time before conceding a relieving penalty to the South American battlers.

As for Spreadbury, some of his decisions were confusing to both sides. But what do you expect from a referee who speaks neither French nor Spanish - and issued every instruction in English from start to finish?

Sacre bleu!