Argentina edge closer to quarters

LYON, France -- Argentina have moved a step closer to the rugby World Cup quarterfinals after a 33-3 victory over a battling Georgia side -- cemented by a last minute try which secured a crucial bonus point.

However, the eastern Europeans won plenty of supporters when they held the Pumas, who shocked France in their opening game, to just 6-3 at the interval before the South Americans' greater experience told in the second half.

The Pumas left it late to secure the Pool D bonus point with winger Federico Martin Aramburu touching down in the last minute.

This was the first international between the two nations and Georgia gave as good as they received early on -- opening the scoring in the second minute when flyhalf Merab Kvirikashvili kicked a penalty before Argentina levelled with a penalty from Felipe Contepomi.

But Argentina, aware that four tries would give them the crucial extra point in a tight group, failed to break through the Georgian line and only edged ahead through another Contepomi penalty.

Georgia, with the French crowd behind them, tired after the interval and Argentina scored their first try seven minutes into the second half when winger Lucas Borges crossed in the corner after good link-up work between Felipe Contepomi and flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe.

Contepomi, captaining the team in the absence of the rested Agustin Pichiot, added the conversion. The same player then added another penalty before Borges grabbed his second try in the 56th minute which his skipper again converted.

It was 26-3 with nine minutes left when lock Patricio Albacete went over.

This time Contepomi missed the conversion before winger Aramburu allowed his team to breathe a huge sigh of relief with his bonus-point clinching last minute try.

Juan Martin Hernandez kicked the conversion. E-mail to a friend