Argentina have beaten France in a rugby Test for the first time in eight years with a powerful, pride-restoring performance for a 33-25 victory in Buenos Aires.
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A Pumas side stocked with Rugby World Cup players surprisingly lost to the third-string French in the first Test last weekend in Mendoza. The French XV had less than 100 caps.
The Pumas were far more aggressive on Saturday and the forwards were responsible for four of their five tries.
They blew a 21-10 lead at halftime and fell behind 25-21, but while France prop Georges-Henri Colombe was in the sin-bin, the pack engineered two tries finished by replacement prop Thomas Gallo.
France were consumed by controversy in the past week as two of their players were arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault and Melvyn Jaminet, a first Test try-scorer, was sent home after making a racist comment on a social media video.
France put themselves in a winning position with their energetic start to the second half, which saw tries to centre Emilien Gailleton and winger Theo Attissogbe.
But Argentina rallied to seize back the lead and give Felipe Contempomi his first win as head coach.
"We played better than last week. There were a lot of things to improve and I'm proud of the character we showed," said Pumas captain Julian Montoya, who was forced from the field injured after 20 minutes.
France scored first from an Argentina knock-on on halfway. In the counterattack, Mickael Guillard broke and Attissogbe was in support to put in captain Baptiste Serin.
In the 17th minute, the Pumas won a penalty and pumped the ball into the right corner. After seven phases, prop Eduardo Bello drove the ball over to level.
Antoine Hastoy's penalty nudged France ahead but Argentina claimed the lead for the first time after 30 minutes when they were awarded a penalty try from a pushover scrum. Mayco Vivas popped France opposite Demba Bamba and the visiting scrum disintegrated.
Santiago Carreras' own converted try, when he barged through two defenders at the line, increased the Pumas' lead to 21-10 at halftime.
France were re-energised in the second half and cut Argentina's lead to a single point within six minutes.
Another Hastoy penalty was followed by Gailleton's try from his own chargedown.
Three minutes later, France reclaimed the lead when fullback Leo Barre's grubber kick bounced kindly for Attisogbe to snatch and score. Hastoy missed the conversion after four successive goalkicks.
Argentina steeled themselves, helped when Colombe received a yellow card for a high tackle.
Gallo scored the next two tries in similar circumstances: Lineout mauls and pick-and-goes that France couldn't stop. Argentina earned a first home win in two years.
"For me," Serin said, "it was very proud to prepare the last week and I'm very proud of the guys."
Australian Associated Press
