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Serin leads France triumph in Argentina

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Baptiste Serin inspired France to a 27-0 win against Argentina as they halted a slide of four successive losses and levelled their two-Test series in Tucuman.

Baptiste Serin inspired France to a 27-0 win against Argentina as they halted a slide of four successive losses and levelled their two-Test series in Tucuman.

The 22-year-old scrum-half kicked 12 points and broke well to put Hugo Bonneval through for the game’s opening try just before half-time.   Fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc brought stability to the French side on his return to the starting XV, while captain Yoann Maestri, Louis Picamoles, Gael Fickou, and Maxime Medard all impressed for Guy Novès’ side as they avenged last weekend’s 30-19 loss.   Novès’ Les Bleus finished fifth in the 2016 RBS 6 Nations, but the former Toulouse head coach will be happy with the way his side sprang to life against the Pumas after further tries from Remi Lamerat and Loann Goujon gave them a comfortable win.   The two sides remained inseparable for the first 26 minutes, but Serin then punished Tomas Lavanini’s for straying offside with the first of his three penalties.

Serin came to the fore again on the stroke of half-time, breaking superbly down the blind-side and passing inside to Bonneval who was free to race home before Bordeaux Bègles’ Serin nudged the conversion to put France 10-0 ahead.   Another penalty just after the break put France in further control as Argentina struggled against an impressive defensive display.   Trinh-Duc added some magic of his own after 50 minutes when his superb dummy took him through the Argentinean line and his pin-point pass found Lamerat, the Castres centre running over for a try that Serin converted.   Goujon added the gloss after 60 minutes when he barrelled over from a five-metre scrum that ensured France would not leave South America empty handed, while the outstanding Serin was on target with the extras once again.