IT WAS the ultimate slow burn of a match. A dull first half, a steadily improving second, and then, right at the death, a sensational conclusion, as Greig Laidlaw was on target with his fourth successful penalty to give Scotland the win.
It was a victory that the captain and his team deserved, if only marginally, because they finished as the stronger and more positive team. It was also a victory that has taken them above Argentina in the World Rugby rankings, making it more likely that they will be in the top eight, and hence in the first two pools, when the draw for the next Rugby World Cup is made next year.
The contest as a whole may have been undistinguished, but the crucial point was that Scotland found a way to win even though things were not always going their way. That contrasted with last week against the Wallabies, when they played far more entertaining rugby, but lost by a point.
“It was nice to be able to come away with the win, even if it came in the 83rd minute,” Scotland coach Vern Cotter said. “It was a dour affair, not perfect by any means, but we saw a bit of grit and character. There were a lot of positives that came out of the game.
“They came to squeeze us and try to get the win that way, but we defended well and a lot of good things happened. The result is a reflection of our determination and character. I’m very proud of the way they went about their business.”
A third-minute penalty from Laidlaw which put Scotland ahead was almost the only noteworthy action of a first quarter in which the home team had territorial dominance without ever coming close to scoring a try. Argentina forced a couple of turnovers and had a couple of threatening breaks, but at times there was not enough pattern to their play.
Laidlaw doubled his tally with another place kick from around 30 metres shortly before the half-hour mark, but Argentina grew stronger as the interval approached
and opened their account through a Nicolas Sanchez penalty two minutes from the end of a frustrating, stop-start first half. The Pumas were more impressive at the start of the second half than either team had been in the first, playing at the high tempo that had eluded both teams in the first 40. Their first real foray upfield ended with a penalty being given against Scotland for offside, and Sanchez had no problem in equalising from in front of the posts.
Five minutes further on and they were ahead. Recycled ball midway inside the Scots half allowed Sanchez to send a diagonal kick towards his left wing. The ball sat up nicely for Juan Martin Hernandez, who collected, evaded Sean Maitland then barged past Stuart Hogg to touch down behind the posts. The stand-off converted to put the visitors 13-6 ahead.
That try stung Scotland into a response. Huw Jones did the spadework by powering through one tackle and offloading from the other, creating the space in which Maitland collected the pass to score in the left corner. Laidlaw’s conversion brought the scores level, and we had a real game on our hands at last.
Inside the last quarter, Sanchez calmly restored his team’s lead with a penalty close to the right touchline, only for Laidlaw to make it 16-16 after one of his team’s best attacks of the match was halted illegally. With ten minutes to go, Argentina made five changes at once, switching their entire front row as well as bringing on a lock, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, and a back, Juan Pablo Estelles. The move was supposed to shore up a tiring defence, but it would prove to contain the germs of its own destruction.
Scotland looked sharper and more likely to score as the match entered its closing stages, but one excellent chance to take the lead went begging when Finn Russell was wide with a drop-goal attempt. Then with four minutes to go an even better opportunity was presented to Laidlaw when Argentina gave away another penalty, but just as had happened with one of his kicks last week the scrum-half’s effort came back off the post. Scotland gathered the ball to launch another attack, but this time Russell’s drop-goal was charged down.
Again in a replay of the game against Australia, Scotland had possession for the last play of the match and knew that a score would give them victory. They fell short against the Wallabies, but this time they were given a helping hand from Leguizamon, who, with 81 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock, dived in with a no-arms tackle as Scotland prepared to launch another phase. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty, and Laidlaw calmly converted to pull off an important victory.
“The boys were giving me a bit of stick for taking two penalties to win it,” the captain said. “I was happy to see the second one sail between the posts, but it was credit to the whole team. It’s great to win, no matter how you do it.”
Scorers: Scotland: Try: Maitland. Con: Laidlaw. Pens: Laidlaw 4.
Argentina: Try: Hernandez.. Con: Sanchez. Pens: Sanchez 3.
Scotland: S Hogg; S Maitland, H Jones (P Horne 58, T Visser 79), A Dunbar, T Seymour; F Russell, G Laidlaw; A Dell (A Allan 74), F Brown (R Ford 68), Z Fagerson (M Low 51), G Gilchrist (T Swinson 71), J Gray, M Bradbury (R Wilson 51), H Watson, J Barclay. Unused substitute: A Price.
Argentina: J Tuculet; M Moroni (J de la Fuente 75), M Orlando (J Estelles 71), J Hernandez, S Cordero; N Sanchez, M Landajo (T Cubelli 58); L Noguera (S Botta 71), A Creevy (J Montoya 71), R Herrera (E Pieretto 71), G Petti (J Leguizamon 71), M Alemanno, P Matera, J Ortega Desio, F Isa ( L Senatore 56).
Referee: B O’Keeffe (New Zealand). Attendance: 50,481.
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