KEY POINTS:
The game no one needed to play was won by the side nobody wants.
However senior International Rugby Board officials were forced to embrace Argentina for a while yesterday as their jubilant players hit the podium to claim their medals for finishing third at the World Cup.
There
were no awkward looks from outgoing chairman Syd Millar nor his replacement Bernhard Lapasset but they must have been wondering what the Pumas triumph will generate at the global calendar meeting next month.
It was a crazy kind of day that began with departing French coach Bernard Laporte dismissing allegations he had been under investigation for a year from the national fraud squad.
His split from the team to start work tomorrow as Junior Minister of Sport is starting to become as indelicate as the divorce manoeuvres of his boss, President Sarkozy, in the last week.
But this was a match where Argentina repeated their World Cup opening game victory against France... and how. This time it was 34-10, five tries to one, the French beaten on the Parc des Princes ground rather than the Stade de France venue and having to deal with their second defeat on home soil in a week.
France picked an attacking side and could have had four tries in the first half.
But New Zealand referee Paul Honiss, in his world record 44th test, was sharp enough to ping France for two forward passes, a knock-on and some infringement on a quick lineout throw.
A few chances came the Pumas way, they scored both times because of their better control and France started to lose the plot even more.
Skipper Rafael Ibanez chucked a water bottle and the towel in at the same time after being sinbinned for trampling and did not return while the Pumas ploughed on.
Their scrum was a little creaky but their counter-rucking, mauling and defence were outstanding, all the while constantly chipping away at the French frustration.
Racy fullback Ignacio Corleto created one thrilling try then scored one himself when his loose forward Juan Leguizamon was in the bin after Sebastian Chabal's Hollywood convinced touch judge Stu Dickinson to intervene.
Victory produced scenes of emotion from the Pumas before retiring skipper Agustin Pichot gathered his men in a tight circle as the glum French jealously looked on.
The fiesty halfback gave his squad several messages which should have been about being proud, gracious and continuing the fine work the Pumas have put in at this tournament.
Job done, they trooped up to hug the IRB with their beaming coach Marcelo Loffreda, who is leaving for work in England.
He and his side have done a fine job at the World Cup.
They were well organised, they played to their strengths and will have only one regret that they played their poorest game in the semifinal against the Boks.
Not far away Laporte was exhibiting a few facial twitches, the dream of what might have been after Cardiff, well and truly washed away in a week in Paris.
Argentina 34 (Felipe Contepomi 2, Omar Hasan, Federico Martin Aramburu, Ignacio Corleto tries; Contepomi 3 conversions, penalty), France 10 (Clement Poitrenaud try; Lionel Beauxis conversion, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde penalty).
