New Zealand beat Pumas 26 - 16

Reigning champions New Zealand were shaken to the core by Argentina in their World Cup opener, but weathered the storm to secure a gritty victory.

The rattled All Blacks lost two players to the sin bin in the first half, captain Richie McCaw and Conrad Smith, and the Pumas led 13-12 at the break.

But New Zealand made changes early in the second half and it made all the difference.

A stirring spectacle was witnessed by 89 thousand 019 fans at Wembley Stadium, a new record for the tournament.