Pumas impress against France

Argentina ended their summer international series in impressive fashion on Saturday with a 41-13 win over France at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires.

Pumas captain Felipe Contepomi scored 31 points alone and ran in two tries, while Juan Fernandez Lobbe and Rafael Carballo also crossed the whitewash.

The victory against this year's Six Nations champions will therefore go some way to helping the hosts bounce back from their recent 24-16 and 13-9 defeats to Scotland.

France took an early lead when Morgan Parra kicked a penalty in the second minute, but

fly-half Contepomi slotted over two of his own to put the hosts 6-3 in front by the ninth minute.

The Toulon player missed another penalty in front of the posts in the 12th minute and France equalised with another Parra penalty six minutes later.

Contepomi found the target with another penalty in the 26th minute and, with Florian Fritz having been shown a yellow card, he then added three more points with a 25-yard effort.

Argentina scored their first try of the night before half time when Fernandez Lobbe ran from one end of the pitch to the other to cross in the corner.

Contepomi converted to put Argentina 19-6 ahead at the break and he evaded the France defence eight minutes into the second half to touch down himself before converting for 26-6.

Julien Malzieu reduced France's deficit when ran through unopposed to score in the 52nd minute, with Parra kicking the conversion to make it 26-13.

But Argentina then scored their third try - scrum-half Nicolas Vergallo taking the ball from a ruck and giving it to Contepomi, with winger Martin Rodriguez Gurruchaga progressing the move before his pass set up Rafael Carballo to cross.

Contepomi failed to convert but added a penalty in the 65th minute.

The skipper completed a fine personal display by again avoiding France's defence to touch down in the 69th minute before adding another conversion.