GLOUCESTER — Argentina maximized on Mamuka Gorgodze's second-half sin-binning to record a vital bonus-point 54-9 victory over Georgia Friday to all but guarantee itself the second automatic qualifying spot in Pool C. Having been beaten 26-16 by champion New Zealand in its opening game, the Argentinians had to beat Georgia, which was surprise 17-10 winner over Tonga in its opener, to stay in the race for the knock-out phase.



With two remaining pool games against Tonga and minnow Namibia on Oct. 4 and 11, both in Leicester, Argentina will be out-and-out favorite to progress alongside the All Blacks into the quarterfinals.



Argentina was made to work hard in the first-half, enjoying just a 14-9 lead thanks to nine points from the boot of influential fly-half Nicolas Sanchez and Tomas Lavanini's solitary try while Georgian veteran Merab Kvirikashvili kicked three penalties.



But when Georgian skipper Gorgodze was rightly sin-binned in the 45th minute, the South Americans made hay, scoring three converted tries through Tomas Cubelli, Juan Imhoff and Santiago Cordero in the space of six minutes with some wonderful running rugby.



With Georgia flagging, Martin Landajo first scored, and then Cordero and Bosch grabbed their second tries, Marcelo Bosch hitting two conversions as Argentina racked up 40 unanswered points.



Sanchez got the scoreboard ticking with a cheeky sixth-minute drop-goal. As Georgia struggled to impose themselves, more pressure was exerted, the ball was moved right and lock Lavanini was on hand to crash over.



A blocking foul on Kvirikashvili by Lavanini's locking partner Matias Alemanno saw the Georgian full-back, winning a national record 87th cap in his fourth World Cup, kick the penalty and a second shortly after.



The Pumas almost immediately restored their five-point lead after flanker Giorgi Tkhilaishvili was pinged by referee JP Doyle for a high tackle, Sanchez making no mistake with his pot at goal.



The Georgians refused to go away, however, Kvirikashvili bagging his third, and the ping-pong nature of the match continued after a second high tackle saw Sanchez again punish the Georgians.



Lasha Malaguradze went close with a drop-goal effort as Georgia, with hard-tackling Clermont flanker Viktor Kolelishvili and Toulon No 8 Gorgodze to the fore, pressed in the run-up to half-time, Argentina's well-drilled defense holding firm.



Georgia's hammerblow arrived five minutes into the second period, Gorgodze first penalized for a high tackle and then sin-binned for preventing quick release as the Pumas pushed after a searing Sanchez break.



Lavanini was denied a second try after Doyle ruled he'd been held up over the line, but from the resulting scrum, Cubelli darted in for the first of three converted tries, a simple dart down the blindside too much for a stretched 14-man Georgian defence.



From the restart, the ball was whipped left and smart hands saw Racing 92 winger Imhoff in the clear as he outsprinted Kvirikashvili for the line.



With Gorgodze looking on from the sidelines, the Pumas nabbed the bonus point for scoring four or more tries when Cordero stepped in from his wing and showed a clean pair of heels to scoot in under the posts.



With Sanchez converting all three tries, Argentina was suddenly 35-9 up and the game was in the bag for the team that finished third in the 2007 World Cup.



The final 10 minutes saw the Argentinians turn the screw, Landajo being driven over before Cordero and Imhoff each grabbed a second try for a comprehensive victory. — AFP