Tokyo tear-up: France and Argentina engage in 20-man brawl after final whistle at Rugby World Cup (VIDEO)

The Rugby World Cup exploded in Tokyo as France and Argentina engaged in a full-on 20-man brawl after the final whistle of their opening match in Japan.

Three-time World Cup winners France threatened to run away with the victory after amassing a 20-3 lead by halftime in the match. But Argentina came back strongly in the second half and held a slender one-point lead with just 11 minutes left on the clock.

Replacement fly-half Camille Lopez fired over a drop-kick to give France the go-ahead score, but Les Bleus still had to hold their collective breath when Pumas star Emiliano Boffelli attempted a late penalty from 47 meters out.

Unfortunately for Argentina, his effort was unsuccessful and France held on for the win.

But the tension of the match finally spilled over after the final whistle as a shoving match between players escalated into a 20-man melee. Watch the incident below.