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Rugby World Cup | Group Stage
Sep 25, 2015 at 4.45pm UK
 
Argentina
54-9
Georgia
Lavanini (10'), Cubelli (47'), Imhoff (49', 76'), Cordero (53', 72'), Landajo (70')
FT

Argentina rally against Georgia to pick up first Pool C win

Argentina score 40 unanswered second-half points to power their way to a 54-9 victory over Georgia at the Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester.

A second-half blitz has helped Argentina on their way to a 54-9 bonus-point victory over Georgia at the Kingsholm Stadium.

Tomas Lavanini crossed over for the only try of the first half, but 40 unanswered points after the restart paved the way for Los Pumas to pick up their opening Pool C points.

Tomas Cubelli of Argentina scores his teams second try during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Argentina and Georgia at Kingsholm Stadium on September 25, 2015© Getty Images

Following a rather unorthodox start to the contest, in which Nicolas Sanchez kicked over the tournament's first drop goal with just a few minutes on the clock, it was the Lelos who found themselves having to do all the early defending.

The building Argentine pressure told when Lavanini was picked out on the right to touch down for just his second international score, putting Argentina on their way in front of a packed South American following in Gloucester.

Georgia, ranked five places below their opponents in the current world rankings, managed to drag themselves right back into things thanks to two well-taken penalties.

Merab Kvirikashvili - one of only two Georgians to be selected in all four of their World Cup squads - was able to find the sticks on both occasions, the latter of which came from close to the halfway line after Mamuka Gorgodze's illegal challenge.

The sloppy first half continued in a similar manner, as Sanchez was the next to split the sticks to punish a high Georgian tackle and edge his side back into a five-point advantage.

Milton Haig's men, who headed into this match looking to win back-to-back fixtures at a World Cup for the first time ever, were having to make do with pens in order to remain within touching distance of their opponents.

Nicolas Sanchez of Argentina makes a break during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Argentina and Georgia at Kingsholm Stadium on September 25, 2015© Getty Images

Kvirikashvili was again successful from range, but Argentina ensured that they headed into the break with that advantage - as slim as it was - still intact thanks to a second Sanchez pen.

Argentina again looked the stronger side in the opening stages following the restart, yet the second try somehow evaded them when the TMO ruled out Tomas Cubelli's effort.

Georgia were not helped by Gorgodze being sent to the sin bin for failing to roll away, and the pressure soon told courtesy of two quick-fire tries for Los Pumas.

Cubelli, still unhappy at that earlier decision, did not have to wait long until he could officially get his name on the scoresheet after being picked out by Facundo Isa with relative ease to finally give Argentina some breathing space.

The third score of the evening was awarded to Juan Imhoff, who found the whitewash almost immediately from the restart to completely kill off any hopes 14-man Georgia had of rescuing themselves.

While a bonus point looked a distant reality on the basis of the first-half showing, Daniel Hourcade's charges got their all-important fourth try through Cordero just four minutes later.

Sanchez was able to convert from all three, having missed his only attempt in the first half, to put Argentina some 26 points to the good heading into the final quarter of what had previously been a cagey affair.

Georgia probably should have pulled back a consolation try inside the final 15 minutes, with Merab Sharikadze finding himself in a promising position metres from the try-line, but it was to be Argentina who strengthened their grip on things.

Three more late tries followed, as Martin Landajo capitalised on a huge hole and found the chalk with far too much ease, before the replacement scrum-half played the ball on to Santiago Cordero to join the party.

It was then left to Imhoff to take his side beyond the half-century mark, as he burst past an increasingly tiring Georgian defence to round things off.

Argentina, who have now gone 20 years without losing their opening two fixtures in this showpiece tournament, climb up to second place in the Pool C standings.

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Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe of Argentina makes a lineout call during The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina at McLean Park on September 6, 2014
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