France 27 Argentina 26:Leinster's worst-case scenario from the November internationals looks to have been realised with Felipe Contepomi ruled out for an estimated six weeks after sustaining a knee injury in Argentina's 27-26 defeat to France on Saturday.
Contepomi is unavailable for next weekend's return to the Magners Celtic League against Ulster at Ravenhill and the crucial back-to-back Heineken European Cup games against Agen in December.
A definitive recovery timescale will be revealed after today's scan but the Argentinian is in a race against time to be fit for the last two group matches, against Edinburgh at home and Gloucester away, in January.
It is a huge blow as Contepomi was last season's leading points scorer in both the Celtic League (287 points) and European Cup (131) for a combined total of 418 points, including 15 tries. He also kicked 10 points at the Stade de France before suffering the injury late in the second half.
Two defeats, including a 47-3 hammering by the All Blacks, and Saturday's tight 27-26 win over Argentina have brought Six Nations champions France down to earth.
"The first New Zealand Test was sheer humiliation, the second was a resurrection, the Pumas Test was a confirmation," said wing Cedric Heymans, who scored France's only try against the All Blacks in two matches.
The last Test against Argentina helped the French end the tour and the year on a positive note. They brought their Pumas jinx to an end, beating them for the first time in five games since June 2002 in a Stade de France dress rehearsal for the World Cup opening game.
Showing glimpses of their fast and ambitious game, they scored three tries and were leading 27-9 after an hour only to subside and let Argentina stage a remarkable comeback. "I thought we were about to give them a good thrashing but at the end we nearly died from anguish", said team manager Jo Maso.
"We went into the game with two objectives, to win and to win in style. We won and we played with style for an hour, now we have to work to keep the rhythm for a whole match."
Coach Bernard Laporte said work would start in February when he will have 40 players at his disposal during the seven weeks of the Six Nations. The French championship will be suspended to help the national team prepare for the World Cup.
"We'll play the Six Nations to win it but we'll be able to work over a long period tactically, mentally and physically," he said.
"The All Blacks are definitely above the rest but, hopefully, the World Cup will be another story than this November tour."
SCORERS: France - Tries: Dominici 2, Fritz. Cons: Yachvili 3, Pens: Yachvili 2. Argentina - Tries: Longo-Elia, M Hernandez. Cons: F. Contepomi 2. Pens: Todeschini 2, F Contepomi 2.
FRANCE: Elhorga; Heymans, Fritz, Jauzion, Dominici; Traille, Yachvili; Milloud, Ibanez, De Villiers, Nallet, Jacquet, Bonnaire, Martin, Vermeulen. Replacements: Marty for Jauzion (80 mins), Marconnet for Milloud (65 mins), Szarzewski for Ibanez (65 mins), Betsen for Martin (37 mins).
ARGENTINA: M Hernandez; N Piossek, F Contepomi, M Contepomi, Corleto; Todeschini, Pichot; Scelzo, Ledesma, Hasan, I Fernandez Lobbe, Albacete, Durand, J Fernandez Lobbe, Longo-Elia. Replacements: Senillosa for Todeschini (27 mins), I Ayerza for Hasan (59 mins), Leguizamon for Durand (55 mins).
Referee: T Spreadbury(England).
