Argentina 40 France 21 Last year's surprise finalists Argentina indicated their desire to go one better this year, pummelling the favoured French team in the opening game of the World Rugby Classic yesterday.

The Pumas, mixing imaginative running rugby with ferocious defence, fought back from a 14-0 deficit after just 11 minutes to overwhelm their more illustrious opponents, captained by international rugby's most capped player Philippe Sella.

France, though looking formidable in those early skirmishes, struggled as the Pumas hit back and despite camping in the South Americans' half for the first 20 minutes of the second period, never looked like turning their pressure into points.

Sella, with 111 appearances for his country under his belt, denied afterwards that complacency had set in. "We didn't relax. I think Argentina played better after the first quarter of an hour, we dropped too many balls and it is very difficult to play without the ball,'' he said.

"One of the main problems was at the line-outs: we didn't catch any balls from the line-outs. It was hard in defence because it is more difficult to defend with the veterans than when we play for the Championship.'' He admitted the opening could have flattered to deceive: "We looked strong initially but that was the trouble -- we only looked strong. We failed to push on in the scrummage. We couldn't play any second or third phase moves because we made too many turnovers. I think we can play better.'' Sella, who thought he had retired from competitive rugby when he left English club Saracens in the summer, conceded: "It was more competitive than we expected: the Argentina team were very young and very fit. Our team is not too old, but not too young either and we had only one training session together.

"In the second half I said we had to play like we did at the beginning of the first and try to concentrate on our moves at the scrummage and line-outs. But the defence of Argentina was very, very hard.

"For example, our number nine couldn't pass the ball because the opposite number nine was in our side a little bit.

"It became difficult to set moves without pressure. We know Argentina and they play with a lot of pressure always.'' Argentina captain Rafael Madero said: "We tried to move the ball, especially in the second half and that intent was good because in the first half the French forwards went straight down the middle.

"We play many games in Argentina where we try to move the ball around a lot and we will try to do that in the forthcoming games.'' It took France just four minutes to get on the scoreboard, wing Patrick Esteve going over on the left after his team-mates had been denied through the middle.

When, seven minutes later, Argentina were penalised for going over the top and were then forced back a further 10 yards for an additional infringement, Jean Claude Bonetti grabbed a second try which he converted to make it 14-0.

Argentina, who upset New Zealand by kicking a penalty to win last year's tight semi-final between the sides before submitting to the might of the Classic Lions in the final, looked set to make an early exit.

But an encouraging run by Fernando Conti, who seemed bound for the try line before referee John Pearson pulled him back for an earlier obstruction, gave them back their belief.

And after 18 minutes, Madero put them back on track with a try converted by Diego Cuesta Silva. Then when Ricardo di Vedia went over four minutes later, Madero stepped up to kick the conversion from an awkward angle wide on the right to bring the scores level.

Madero, capped 36 times by his country, was central to the third try a minute before the break. Initially, Guillermo Valessani was kept out by determined French resistance in the middle, but the grounded Madero helped the ball out to the left where Jorge Allen was spare and Allen did the rest. Madero's conversion put Argentina seven points up at half-time.

France tried to up the pressure in the second 30-minute period but their handling was poor and Argentina, giving nothing away, looked as if they could catch them on the break.

And so it proved as Pedro Lanza scored their fourth try after 50 minutes. That sounded the death knell for France and it was no surprise when Daniel Sanes completed a flowing move out of defence three minutes later and Fabian Turnes added another on 57 minutes to make it 38-14.

Madero converted before France managed a consolation try in the dying seconds as the weight of their pack forced the ball over.

The Argentina skipper, delighted by the win, would not, however, be drawn into making predictions that his side could lift the trophy for the first time this year.

"I would like to win the final. But the most important thing is we are in Bermuda and expecting an enjoyable seven days,'' was all he would say.

Classic Lions 36 USA 7 Gavin Hastings, making his Classic debut, drew jocular boos from the crowd when his penalty after a quarter of an hour of yesterday's second game put the holders ahead against a battling US team.

The former Scottish captain, skippering the Lions side, might have been surprised by the reaction from a Classic audience that prefers to see running rugby from the array of talent on view.

But the kick, a relatively simple one, put daylight between the sides and laid the foundation for an ultimately emphatic win.

Before that, only Iwan Tukalo's impressive run, halted about 15 yards short of the line, had troubled the States, who had enjoyed an early period of pressure of their own.

And it took 11 further minutes of scrappy rugby before Noel Mannion burst from nowhere to go in under the posts for a try converted by Hastings to give the Lions a 10-0 half-time lead.

That was the key for wholesale second period pressure from last year's winners and their superior strength in all departments begans to show.

Irish lock Mannion combined with compatriot Derek McAleese for the latter to score after 36 minutes, a try converted by Hastings.

Then Hastings arrived late on the left to grab a try of his own after the grounded John O'Driscoll had managed to send the ball wide.

Although the 36-year-old full back then failed to convert, the Lions were now rampant and Colin Deans should have added to the score. Deans failed to gather a pass with a clear run at the line in front of him and was forced to follow the bouncing ball through the crowd and into the beer tent.

But Ian Corcoran followed a kick forward to make it 27-0 and Keith Robertson converted before British rugby league star David Lyons combined superbly with Jonathan Griffiths for the Welshman to score. Griffiths converted before the US's most-capped player Keith Swords forced his way over for a consolation seconds from the end.

Photos by Ras Mykkal ON THE RUN -- Scottish wing Iwan Tukalo shows his pace as he bursts towards the try line for the Classic Lions in yesterday's game against the USA. Tukalo was eventually caught in this instance but was instrumental in the Lions' eventual emphatic 36-7 win.

SACRE BLEU -- Philippe Sella, international rugby's most capped player, found out just how competitive the Classic can be, as his French side were overwhelmed by last year's finalists Argentina.