Player ratings: Scots fail to drop in

Veteran flyhalf Dan Parks missed with a drop-goal attempt one minute from time as Scotland slumped to a heartbreaking 12-13 loss to Argentina in a World Cup Pool B match on Sunday.

In fact, Scotland, who slotted drop-goals through Ruaridh Jackson (65th minute) and Parks (72nd minute) to take a crucial 12-6 lead into the final 10 minutes, missed two attempts at scoring points in this manner in a game played in dreadful conditions in a rain-swept Wellington.

And they had a late chance at getting into position for the winner, only to be met with an almost immovable wall of blue-and-white Argentinean defenders.

Jan de Koning rates the Scotland players:

15 Chris Paterson:
He missed his first penalty and his clearance kicks were not that flash either. Then he also dropped a high ball (admittedly in very testing conditions) and missed a crucial tackle.
5/10

14 Max Evans:
He made plenty of decent metres with ball in hand and was so much more effective in achieving line breaks than his much bigger teammate on the other wing.
8/10

13 Nick De Luca:
He was very strong with his carries and made some good ground, while also doing valuable work at the breakdown. However, her also conceded three penalties.
6/10

12 Graeme Morrison:
Conceded an early penalty for obstruction, but was very effective in shutting down the Argentinean backs and there was some good chasing and a great charge down.
6/10

11 Sean Lamont:
He was slow, almost plodding, with the ball in hand and was easily handled by the Argentinean defenders. He did manage a good turnover early in the second half and kept looking for work, making some crucial tackles.
6/10

10 Ruaridh Jackson:
He kicked a great penalty just before half-time and then a crucial drop-goal in the final quarter. He produced some sound tactical kicking, but also overcooked a few touch finders. He seemed to have justified the decision to pick him ahead of Dan Parks.
7/10

9 Rory Lawson (captain):
Kicked very little, but was effective when he did, and made just one effective break. However, there was an astonishing 60 passes – meaning he did the basics well.
6/10

8 Kelly Brown:
He made plenty of metres with ball in hand and did not miss any tackles, but did put a crucial ball down late in the second half.
7/10

7 John Barclay:
He put plenty of pressure on Argentina’s backs and produced some great support play, while taking the ball up often. However, he conceded a crucial penalty going into the final 10 minutes.
6/10

6 Alasdair Strokosch:
The was some great chasing and like Brown had plenty of ball carries – making good metres. He also had one of the best tackle counts of the Scottish forwards.
7/10

5 Jim Hamilton:
He was good at times in the line-outs, but conceded the ruck penalty that resulted in Argentina’s first points. While he made a number of good tackles, he also slipped one at a crucial stage and lost one of his own line-outs.
5/10

4 Richie Gray:
The Scots’ most effective forward. He had plenty of carries and a couple of crucial line-out steals and was crucial to the Scottish forwards’ cause.
8/10

3 Geoff Cross:
He was penalised at the scrums a couple of times, when it seemed both teams were struggling on the slippery surface. He worked hard in the close exchanges, but as soon as the ball went wide he was ineffective and slipped a couple of tackles.
5/10

2 Ross Ford:
Did not have too many ball carries, an aspect of the game he enjoys, but made an extraordinary number of tackles.
7/10

1 Allan Jacobsen:
He was not happy with scrum penalty he conceded and may have had reason to be. He played tight most game and did the basics well.
5/10

Replacements:

16 Dougie Hall (on for Ross Ford, 69th min):
Not enough time to be rated.

17 Alasdair Dickinson (on for Allan Jacobsen, 61st min):
Stood strong in the scrums, but his work-rate in open play was not enough to help swing the game in his team’s favour.
5/10

18 Nathan Hines (on for Richie Gray, 59th min):
Made a few decent carries and made his tackles. But no real impact. Scotland lost some forward impetus when Gray went off.
5/10

19 Richie Vernon (on for Kelly Brown, 77th min):
Not enough time to be rated.

20 Mike Blair (on for Rory Lawson, 61st min):
A couple of great kicks from the base, for good metres, but also slipped a crucial tackle.
6/10

21 Dan Parks (on for Ruaridh Jackson, 69th min):
His first touch finder was a beauty and the slotted a drop-goal from the resulting line-out, but he also missed a drop-goal. However, he was not on long enough to be rated fairly.

22 Simon Danielli:
Not used.