Namibia's Nico Esterhuize (left) and Argentina's Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe battle for line-out ball during their World Cup Group D in Marseille, France, yesterday. Argentina won 63-3.

PARIS (AP):

SOUTH AFRICA survived a wobble to become the first team to reach the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals yesterday, while defending champions England had the returning Jonny Wilkinson to thank for staying alive.

Argentina crushed Namibia 63-3 to replace hosts France at the top of Group A, and they only need to avoid a heavy loss to Ireland to capture a place in the last eight.

The Springboks had to call their front-line stars off the bench in Lens to subdue underdog Tonga 30-25 for their third victory in a row.

England beat Samoa 44-22 in Nantes with Wilkinson kicking 24 points and setting up three of the four tries.

A below-strength Springboks line-up trailed Tonga 10-7 before coach Jake White sent on four of his first-choice players to turn the game around. The result was three tries in six minutes the Tongans hit back with two of their own to only lose by five points.

Atop group standings

"I think my substitutes saved me," said coach Jake White, who rested 11 of his top players for the game at the Felix Bollaert stadium. "We were tested about whether those (starting) players could play in a World Cup, whether they would be ready for a World Cup, whether they would be able to fit into a team."

"I am relieved," added White, for whom fullback Ruan Pienaar scored two tries, alongside scores by Juan Smith and Bobby Skinstad. "All credit to the Tongan team, I thought they were outstanding, especially when they came back at us after we got such a nice lead in the middle of the second half."

The result made sure that the South Africans, one of the leading contenders for the title, are guaranteed to finish atop Group A.

Despite losing, the Tongans captured a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the Spring-boks and that means they are neck-and-neck with England in the race for the other qualifying spot.

The two teams go head-to-head at the Parc-des-Prince in Paris on Friday. Wilkinson, who has not played a World Cup game since his extra-time drop goal in the final captured the crown in 2003, missed England's first two group games including a humiliating 36-0 loss to the South Africans.

AP