Scotland demolish lacklustre Pumas
Scotland produced their best performance of the year to demolish a lacklustre Argentina, winning 41-31 at Murrayfield, in Edinburgh, on Saturday.
While the final margin is just 10 points, it is worth keeping in mind that the Pumas scored three converted tries in the last 10 minutes.
It was to be expected that the Scots would take their foot off the gas, once they raced into a 34-10 lead.
Credit to the tourists for continuing to plug away, but this game was over as a contest before it reached the hour mark.
Brothers Richie and Jonny Gray paved the way for Scotland's first home win against Argentina for 24 years.
They marked their first game alongside one another with their country's opening two tries.
The Pumas arrived in Edinburgh on a high following their maiden Rugby Championship win against Australia in Mendoza last month, but- , despite making a flying start – Daniel Hourcade's side were unable to stretch their winning streak on Scottish soil to six matches.
For Vern Cotter, in charge of his first home game as Scotland head coach, it was a second victory in five months against Argentina, following a 21-19 win in Cordoba in June.
It was inspired, to a large degree, by the dynamic influence of Cotter's scrumhalf and captain, Greig Laidlaw, who fashioned all four of his side's tries and kicked four conversions and a penalty.
There were just two minutes on the clock when Argentina struck. Openside flank Javier Ortega Desio picked up a loose ball on the left wing and galloped 55 metres to score a try that was converted by flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.
It was a nightmare start for Scotland, but in the sixth minute they levelled the scores at 7-7.
From a ruck just inside the Argentina 22-metre line, Laidlaw and Sean Maitland shipped the ball right and lock Richie Gray forced his way through a defensive gap for his second try for his country. Laidlaw, Scotland's captain and scrumhalf, landed the conversion.
A Sanchez penalty pushed the Pumas into a 10-7 lead in the 16th minute but, after Laidlaw had struck the posts with an attempt at the other end, Argentina were forced to make a change in personnel, the injured blindside flank Rodrigo Baez making way for Facundo Isa.
The visitors were also a man down in the 21st minute when wing Juan Imhoff was yellow carded for a late tackle on Tommy Seymour.
Scotland exploited the numerical advantage with two converted tries in the space of two minutes.
First, in the 23rd minute, Laidlaw fed Gray's younger brother and fellow second row, Jonny, for a score on the left.
Then the razor sharp Laidlaw caught Argentina napping, taking a quick tap penalty and launching a mazy run before releasing wing Sean Maitland for a try in the right corner.
A Laidlaw penalty extended their lead to 24-10 before the interval and then, seven minutes into the second half, the Gloucester scrumhalf made a lightning break from a ruck to set up fullback Stuart Hogg for a try in the right corner.
Laidlaw squeezed over the touchline conversion and landed a long range penalty to take his tally for the afternoon to 14 points before departing to a huge ovation in the 64th minute.
It was a contribution that hauled the former Edinburgh captain past Dan Parks and Andy Irvine into third place among Scotland's all time points scorers.
He now has 276 and stands behind only Chris Paterson (809) and Gavin Hastings (667).
Seymour added a fifth try for Scotland in the 71st minute while Argentina salvaged a measure of pride with three tries in the final ten minutes – a penalty try plus a brace by replacement scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli.
Man of the match: Brothers Richie and Jonny Gray paved the way for Scotland's win with a powerful display and were certainly strong contenders. However, our award goes to Scotland captain and scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw, with his creative play – he was the master that pulled the strings in this puppet show.
Moment of the match: You would think that with eight tries in the match it would be one of those five-pointers, and they were considered, but this goes to the yellow card of Pumas wing Juan Imhoff in the 21st minute. When he left the field his team held a three-point lead. By the time he returned Scotland had a 21-10 lead and they never looked back.
Villain of the match: There were three yellow cards – including two Scottish players, Robert Harley and Jim Hamilton for repeated offences late in the game. However, this one also goes to Argentina wing Juan Imhoff – for the same reason as above. His moment of madness cost his team the game.
The scorers:
For Scotland:
Tries: R Gray, J Gray, Maitland, Hogg, Seymour
Cons: Laidlaw 4, Weir
Pens: Laidlaw 2
For Argentina:
Tries: Cubelli 2, Desio
Cons: Sanchez, Hernández 3
Pen: Sanchez
Yellow cards: Juan Imhoff (Argentina, 21 – foul play, late charge), Robert Harley (Scotland, 63 – repeated offences at the breakdown/tackle area), Jim Hamilton (Scotland, 74 – repeated offences at the breakdown/tackle area)
Teams:
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 Adam Ashe, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Geoff Cross, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Alasdair Strokosch, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Sean Lamont.
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martin Hernández, 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 6 Rodrigo Baez, 5 Juan Cruz Guillemaín, 4 Tomas Lavanini, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Lucas Noguera Paz, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Lucas Ponce, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Horacio Agulla.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
