Three-time Rugby World Cup runner-up France managed to get off to a winning start in the tournament¡¯s 2019 edition with a nail-biting, 23-21 victory over Argentina in their first Pool C game at Tokyo Stadium on Saturday.

France took control of the game in the first half and entered halftime with a commanding 20-3 lead. But the game was far from over. Argentina scored three straight times, including two tries from mauls, to pull within 20-18 in the 60th minute.

The South Americans drove their loyal fans at the stadium even crazier by taking a 21-20 lead on a penalty goal in the 68th minute. But Les Bleus quickly retrieved their lead a minute later when Camille Lopez nailed a clutch drop goal.

In the final minute, Argentina tried to go ahead with a long penalty goal attempt by Emiliano Boffelli from halfway. The kick was strong enough but sailed outside of the poles, and the game concluded shortly thereafter.

¡°Obviously, we are relieved with this result,¡± France head coach Jacques Brunel said after the game, which drew a packed house of 44,040. ¡°But we are not fully satisfied because we left a few things that we did not perform well enough. But I think those are going to get better going forward.¡±

Argentina fell short in its attempt to complete the biggest comeback win in RWC history. In 2015, Romania notched a 15-point comeback victory over Canada, and it remains in the record book.

If not completely, the first half belonged to France. After Argentina got on the scoreboard on a penalty goal, France scored a pair of tries to build a 17-point lead in the first half.

Argentina responded by playing a lot better in the latter half.

But too many missed tackles also affected the Pumas¡¯ comeback hopes. They had 24 missed tackles, exactly twice as many as France.

Argentina captain and flanker Pablo Matera regretted that his squad didn¡¯t play consistently well for the entire match.

¡°It¡¯s a bitter feeling,¡± Matera said. ¡°We couldn¡¯t do anything in the first 40 minutes and finally showed up in the second half. If we hadn¡¯t given up the deficit we gave up in the first half, I believe the game would¡¯ve been played differently.¡±

Matera said that his team will need to continue to compete the way it did in the second half against France in its upcoming contests.

¡°We would like to win our remaining three (pool) games playing as we did in the second half today,¡± the 26-year-old said. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to make mistakes like we did today.¡±

It was the first time France beat Argentina at the World Cup since the 1999 edition, when it posted a 47-26 win. Meanwhile, Argentina has now lost its 10th straight games including test matches.

France next takes on the United States in Fukuoka on Oct. 2 while Argentina travels to Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, to face Tonga next Saturday.