ARGENTINA captain Felipe Contepomi looked ahead to the World Cup quarter-final with New Zealand after his side sealed their place in the knockout stages with a 25-7 win over Georgia at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North.

Argentina 43 Romania 8

England have completed their final training run ahead of tomorrow’s opening Rugby World Cup showdown with Argentina.

ARGENTINA bounced back from their home series defeat by Scotland in style with a record thrashing of Six Nations champions France in Buenos Aires.

Felipe Contepomi and Juan Manuel Leguizamon have been recalled to Argentina’s starting XV to play Scotland on Saturday.

Stade Francais 24 Ulster 19

Stade Francais 10 Harlequins 15

JUAN Manuel Leguizamon has played 29 times for Argentina, on numerous occasions in the English Premiership and Heineken Cup, and more recently for Stade Francais.

LONDON IRISH coach Toby Booth felt his side squandered a golden opportunity to reach their first Heineken Cup final with Saturday’s 21-15 defeat by Toulouse.

LONDON IRISH director of rugby Brian Smith described Mike Catt as a “special player”, after the England veteran defied a back problem to help the Exiles to a 24-16 Heineken Cup victory over Perpignan yesterday.

London Irish 42 Treviso 9

SCOTLAND’S World Cup run came to a disappointing end at the quarter-final stage as Argentina stuttered into a last-four date with South Africa with a scrappy victory in Paris last night.

SINCE the Rugby World Cup began a month or so ago, Ireland have been plagued with one piece of misfortune or ill luck after another almost on a daily basis.

ARGENTINEAN back row forward Juan Manuel Leguizamon might not yet be a household name, but the London Irish man soon might be.

ARGENTINA said they had achieved the perfect result in the 63-3 defeat of Namibia ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash with Ireland which will decide both side’s World Cup fate.

Argentina 63 Namibia 3

ARGENTINA fly-half Felipe Contepomi believes securing a crucial bonus point against Namibia today is no foregone conclusion.

ARGENTINA captain Agustin Pichot returns for tomorrow’s World Cup clash with Namibia. Pichot was struggling with a hamstring injury, but will lead the Pumas in the Pool D match at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

A SECOND World Cup victory for Argentina was inevitable, and securing a bonus point by scoring four tries was an immensely satisfying return from a most difficult night at the Stade Gerland in Lyon last night.

France launched the 2007 Rugby World Cup tonight amid huge expectancy levels in coach Bernard Laporte’s final assignment before he takes up a French ministerial post.

ARGENTINA prop Rodrigo Roncero played down the importance of his side’s 27-20 defeat to Wales on Saturday.

FULLBACK Federico Serra scored 19 points as Argentina beat Italy 24-6 in Mendoza on Saturday in their final home test before the World Cup.

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has been forced into a string of changes for Saturday’s second Test with Ireland.

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has made three changes to his squad for Saturday‘s second Test against Ireland.

London Irish 16 Wasps 13

London Irish 24 Toulouse 26

London Irish 29 Ulster 13

LLANELLI survived a rousing second-half fightback from London Irish to open their Heineken Cup campaign with a maximum five-point haul at the Madejski Stadium.

London Irish 11 Bristol 23

DEAN RYAN believes yesterday’s dramatic 36-34 European Challenge Cup final victory over London Irish can be the start of a successful era for Gloucester.

London Irish 30 Saracens 18

LONDON IRISH held their nerve to win a sensational game of 14 tries, guaranteeing a place in the end-of-season play-offs and destroying Wasps’ 16-month unbeaten home league record.

London Irish yesterday announced the signing of Argentina number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon.

London Irish today announced the signing of Argentina number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon.