Long before the head-wrecking events of last Saturday, Scotland’s game against the Pumas worried me. Elements of the way Argentina go about their business under Felipe Contepomi can make them a tougher code to crack than even the All Blacks — and that’s before we get into the after-effects of that late heartbreak against New Zealand from which we are all still trying to recover.
Across the two most recent editions of the Rugby Championship the Pumas have beaten New Zealand and Australia home and away, as well as the Springboks in South America. They saw off the British & Irish Lions in Dublin and arrive fresh from putting seven tries on an admittedly woeful Wales.
Yes, they can still be a little bit frantic at times, but if they are even remotely at the races in Edinburgh’s West End this will be an exceptionally hard game for Scotland to go into on the back of last week’s emotion.
Scotland suffered dejection after going so close to making history against New Zealand last Saturday
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Gregor Townsend’s team normally react well to disappointment but this is of a different sort. Negative performances can galvanise a team; bring it closer together with a resilience that speaks of dented pride and aggression. This week is more of a psychological challenge, and that’s the area to which we were again left looking as Scotland failed to claim the historic, first win against New Zealand that had beckoned.
The 30 minutes after half-time were the best mix of intensity and accuracy I have seen from this side. Their ball-carrying and work at the breakdown were genuinely world class. Gregor Brown elevated his ever-growing credentials as someone around whom Scotland could and should build a pack, Jack Dempsey had his best game in a dark blue shirt, Rory Hutchinson shone all day, and George Turner and Elliot Millar Mills both brought new thrust from the bench. There were standout performances throughout, and yet it wasn’t quite enough.
Only the players can say whether they really, truly believed they were going to finish the job, but what I do know for certain is that they will look back and regret this missed opportunity for the rest of their careers.
Sione Tuipulotu, the captain, said something post-match along the lines of: “New Zealand are a good team but so are we, and this is getting a little bit boring.” That’s someone who has been in the Scotland set-up for the past four years; the unfortunate thing is that those of us on the outside have been saying the same for five or six.
Some will look at the manner in which defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory and suggest they blew it. But if Scotland play with that level of intensity and accuracy across the Six Nations, they will put themselves in a strong position in every match. Then again, how often have we said that, too?
Damian McKenzie gets the ball down for the All Blacks’ decisive third try at Murrayfield
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For me, there were echoes of that crazy 38-38 game at Twickenham in 2019. Again, I didn’t really know how to feel at the finish, but my main emotion was disappointment. It’s the first time I’ve ever been commentating and felt nervous because of the history that looks to be unfolding in front of you.
The Scotland team’s debrief will have been a tough one to sit through. On the one hand it’s great to run New Zealand close having pulled yourself off the canvas, but the All Blacks lost a third player to the sin-bin on the hour and were there for the taking.
As Sione said post-match, Scotland went into themselves a little bit at that point. Game management plays a part, as well as scoreboard and clock pressure, but New Zealand were out on their feet and the Scots should have kept attacking. Instead, they went to more of a tactical kicking game — perhaps through how they felt the game was evolving on the pitch, or the simple fact that they too were tiring.
Scotland had the lion’s share of territory and were twice held up over the line in a first half they ended 17-0 down. They had Darcy Graham’s agonising near thing and several other opportunities. Scotland will also look at each of the three scores they conceded and know they could have done better. It’s remarkable that you can get so close and have it still feel so far away.
Argentina walloped Wales, as they were always going to do. I’ve been so impressed by the evolution of their game over the years, most notably since Contepomi took charge. The Pumas have really broadened their attacking horizons and can count on the most proficient back three in world rugby when it comes to the aerial contest.
Matera showcased his skills as Argentina put 52 points on Wales in Cardiff last weekend
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Their side is littered with world-class players, whereas in the era in which I played everything seemed to centre on one or two key men.
If I think back to their pack of the time, their whole game appeared to revolve around Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe and Juan Manuel Leguizamón in the back row. The rest was littered with what could affectionately be called bruisers: bloody effective, but with nothing like the sort of technical ability you can expect from the likes of Pablo Matera, Juan Martín González and Santiago Grondona. None of that trio is what you would call a shrinking violet either, but as a collective, Argentina now understand how, when and where to play the game.
When we went to South America, they would have us playing in places like Tucumán and Mar del Plata: proper Wild West territory with old-school stadiums. The Pumas were incredibly physical back then as they still are now but to say today’s TMOs would have had a field day would be an understatement. Playing Argentina in their own backyard felt as much a test of character and bottle as it did of technical and tactical nous. They held nothing back.
Speaking of which, I do wonder if Scotland might opt for caution with Finn Russell. When I spoke with him on Saturday night he didn’t seem too concerned about having tweaked a knee and suffered an ankle knock, but it’s a long old season and we’re only in November. If it’s a choice between sitting this one out and having to load up on strapping from here on in just to keep managing the injury, a longer-term view might be taken.
If Russell does miss out, I’d start Tom Jordan at fly half. I love his physicality and his passing game, and, like Finn, he has various ways of getting a team moving. Getting the overall show back on the road will, however, be no straightforward task against a quality Pumas side.
Scotland v Argentina
Murrayfield
Sunday, 3.10pm
TV Live on TNT Sports