BUENOS AIRES, 16 June 2003 — Argentina beat France 10-6 in the first Test on Saturday, hanging on grimly in the closing minutes to record their second straight victory over the French. Argentina winger Jose Nunez Piossek scored the only try of the match after two minutes as France, missing a number of regulars, failed to take advantage of their territorial dominance in a disjointed display.

Argentina, also without a number of first-choice players through injury, made a fast start, Piossek gleefully sprinting over the line following a slick passing move by the hosts’ backs.

Flyhalf Felipe Contepomi converted and France wasted chances to establish an early foothold in the game when new flyhalf Yann Delaigue missed two simple penalties in quick succession. “When we had the ball, we tried to make the game more dynamic and sometimes we succeeded and sometimes we didn’t,” Contepomi said.

France, who lost 28-27 in Buenos Aires 12 months ago, went further behind midway through the half when Contepomi landed a penalty from the touchline to give Argentina a 10-0 halftime lead.

France captain Fabien Galthie tried to lift his side, the scrumhalf causing problems for the Argentine defense with a series of trademark sniping runs. The visitors finally made their possession pay with two penalties early in the second half, centre Damien Traille kicking the first and Delaigue succeeding at the third attempt. The French, fielding a new-look pack without regular locks Fabien Pelous and Olivier Brouzet and flankers Olivier Magne and Serge Betsen, pressed forward for the try they needed, but Argentina’s defense held firm.

Weary Broncos Join Raiders at Top

of NRL Standings After Thriller

In Canberra, the Brisbane Broncos, with the majority of their team recovering from the bruising mid-week State of Origin match, joined Canberra at the top of the National Rugby League standings with a tense 24-20 victory over the Raiders yesterday.

The Broncos, with nine players having taken part in Wednesday’s bloody Queensland-NSW Origin match, dug deep to contain the Raiders, whose players were shunned by Origin selectors despite the club leading the competition.

The lead fluctuated three times in the final 11 minutes before Brisbane prevailed despite playing without skipper Gorden Tallis and Tonie Carroll. Brisbane center Micheal De Vere’s goal kicking proved the winning difference, with Raiders’ Clinton Schifcofske missing three attempts at goal.

A hat trick of tries to center Joel Monaghan put Canberra in the lead for the first time in the 53rd minute, but De Vere crossed for a try in the 59th minute to put Brisbane 18-14 in front. Raiders second-rower Ruben Wiki levelled the scores with a 69th-minute try and Schifcofske nudged it 20-18 with the conversion.

Three minutes later Broncos winger Scott Minto won the match with a 95-meter intercept try. Canberra and Brisbane are joint leaders on 22 points, but the Raiders maintain their NRL lead on points differential by just two points.

England Trounce Canada in

Churchill Cup Opener

In Vancouver, Canada, Dan Scarborough and Andy Titterell scored a try each as England hammered host Canada 43-7 in the opening game of the Churchill Cup tournament on Saturday.

England got on the scoreboard quickly, getting a penalty after a Canadian offside in the first minute. Canada scored the first try of the game after a slicing run from John Cannon to the one meter line.

Scrum-half Morgan Williams retrieved the ball from the ensuing maul and found daylight through a hole on the left side.

Bob Ross added the conversion to give Canada a 7-3 lead. When England fullback Scarbrough scored at seventeen minutes, the rout began as England increasingly took control, scoring five more unanswered tries by Titterrell, Martyn Wood, Fraser Waters, Mark Cueto and Michael Horak.