LONDON, Sept 21 — Underdogs Argentina made Richie McCaw's defending champions New Zealand fight for victory in their opening World Cup game yesterday as Wales suffered critical new injury blows.

All Blacks skipper McCaw was sin-binned and the team had to come back from behind to beat Argentina 26-16 in front of a World Cup record crowd of 89,019 at Wembley Stadium.

Wales, in the same tough Pool A as England and Australia, hammered Uruguay 54-9. But hattrick scorer Cory Allen will probably miss the rest of the World Cup as he joined a growing Welsh casualty list.

In the day's third game, Samoa defeated the United States 25-16 on the Brighton ground where Japan on caused the biggest World Cup upset ever by beating South Africa 34-32 on Saturday.

South Africa faced calls at home for the resignation of coach Heyneke Meyer.

As the result reverberated around world rugby, Springbok legend Schalk Burger called on the side to “write off” the shock loss and regroup before their next Pool B game against Samoa.

Aaron Smith and replacement Sam Cane came to New Zealand's rescue after they trailed Argentina for much of the Pool C game.

McCaw was given a yellow card for tripping Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe. It was only on his return and the introduction of Sonny Bill Williams and Cane as substitutes that New Zealand awoke from their slumber.

The Pumas led 16-12 when Aaron Smith crashed over for a key try. Cane made the game safe in the 67th minute. Dan Carter kicked four penalties and two conversions.

“I guess that's what you expect first up. I thought that second half was a lot more clinical,” McCaw said of the win.

Injury worries

Allen scored three first-half tries for Wales, ranked fifth in the world, against the largely amateur Uruguay. But Wales were also slow to break down the South American side and Allen limped off in the second half.

“It looks like he'll definitely need to be replaced,” said coach Warren Gatland who lost star full back Leigh Halfpenny and first-choice backs Rhys Webb and Jonathan Davies before the tournament started.

Full-back Liam Williams, the replacement for Halfpenny, also went off injured.

Tighthead prop Samson Lee, making his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon, was replaced at half-time and loosehead Paul James after just 32 minutes.

Gatland denied his tough training regime had caused the spike in injuries. “I don't think you can blame the preparation,” he said, citing “bad luck” for the squad's ills.

Wales are in the 'Pool of Death' with England and Australia — and only two teams from each of the four groups go through to the quarter finals.

In Pool B, Samoa saw off the United States 25-16 in preparation for becoming the next opponents of the shamed South Africa.

Samoa captain Ofisa Treviranus and his US counterpart Chris Wyles both scored tries in the match, but the Americans never tested the Pacific island nation.

Samoa are braced for a match against South Africa on Saturday when the Springboks will be under strong pressure to rebound from their humiliation by Japan.

“They will come at us with all guns blazing,” said Samoa coach Stephen Betham. “We're going to give it everything and we'll be ready for the backlash.” — AFP