France woke up to a nasty hangover yesterday after their dream of ending 2004 unbeaten was shattered by Argentina in the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

Bernard Laporte's team had their eyes on a national record ninth game without defeat and Argentina are now the only side to have beaten France four times in a row and did so in a stadium where France were unbeaten for four years, including victories over England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

The Pumas, playing with a strong wind at their backs, reached half-time with a 19-5 lead, Felipe Contepomi contributing four penalties and converting a try by flanker Martin Durand.

"We simply were not good enough in terms of winning possession and territorial advantage," a grim-faced Laporte said. "During the first half, I felt some of our players were not there."

Laporte had some harsh words for the half-back pairing of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Frederic Michalak and said the Argentine scrumhalf Agustin Pichot and outhalf Contepomi were the masters in the second half.

Elissalde and Michalak were given a reprieve when Laporte and manager Jo Maso made three changes to the squad to face New Zealand on Saturday at the Stade de France. Centre Brian Liebenberg, prop Pieter de Villiers and wing Christophe Dominici will replace Nicolas Brusque, Nicolas Mas and Jimmy Marlu.

Meanwhile, the Argentines, were celebrating a win their captain Agustin Pichot described as "an important win for the future of Argentine rugby".

"I hope that the world of rugby will now accept that we can beat the best teams in the world and that we deserve to be ranked among the best," he said.

"After the French won the toss and decided to play into the wind, we decided to bank everything on the first half. When we reached half-time with a 19-5 lead, we knew if we could play our traditional game in the second half the margin would be too much for the French to come back."

Prop Omar Hasan sealed the Pumas' win after a series of running mauls on the French line just before the final whistle.

Helped by the wind, the Pumas took territorial advantage from their kick-off. Contepomi promptly opened the scoring with his first penalty and made it 6-0 with help of the wind from 53 metres 10 minutes later.

Argentina were denied a try by the video referee when Aurelien Rougerie and Nicolas Brusque misjudged an up-an-under and wing Hernand Senillosa gathered only to be tackled on the line by Brusque. On the five-metre scrum that followed, however, Durand dived over for a try converted by Contepomi.

Enough was enough for the French who launched a wave of attacks alternating close play with wide balls with centre Tony Marsh finishing off the work 10 minutes before half-time.

The French were losing too much possession at the lineouts and on turnovers and they paid the price as Contepomi added three penalties.

At the restart, full back Clement Poitrenaud replaced Brusque, who was still suffering from the knee injuries he suffered against Australia, and the French went on the attack.

They still were 19-5 down half an hour from time when Elissalde put his name on the scoresheet with his first penalty.

The scrumhalf and goal-kicker limped off the field in the 58th minute with Julien Peyrelongue coming at number 10 and Michalak moving to number nine. Michalak also assumed goalkicking duties and immediately slotted his first penalty.

At 19-11 with 20 minutes to go, the 60,000 crowd roared Les Bleus forward and the physical power of the French pack started to take its toll on the Pumas.

Michalak grabbed three more points after a try was disallowed at the foot of the post. But Hasan's try sealed victory.

FRANCE: N Brusque (C Poitrenaud 40); A Rougerie, T Marsh, Y Jauzion, C Heymans; F Michalak, JB Elissalde (J Peyrelongue 59); O Milloud, W Servat, S Marconnet, F Pelous (capt), J Thion, S Betsen, O Magne, I Harinordoquy.

ARGENTINA: JM Hernandez; L Borges, F Aramburu, M Contepomi, H Senillosa; F Contepomi, A Pichot (capt); R Roncero, M Ledesma, O Hassan, P Albacete, R Alvarez, M Durand (M Schusterman 79), L Ostiglia, G Longo.

Referee: J Kaplan (South Africa)