Australia captain George Gregan said he was relieved to have launched the Wallabies' World Cup defence with a win.
Gregan admitted it had been a 'scratchy performance'
But Gregan admitted his side had been below their best in a match which was overshadowed by a serious injury to Wallaby lock David Giffin.
The Wallabies looked a long way short of world champions as they stuttered to a 24-8 victory over Argentina in Sydney on Friday.
"The ball was a bit slippery and there was a little bit of anxiety in our play but we'll be happy to build from this," said Gregan.
"The first game was always going to be a hard game. Argentina are a good international side.
"It was a scratchy performance in some aspects but it was a positive start - we won our first game.
"We had some opportunities we didn't quite convert, but we're happy with the effort and just happy to get into the tournament."