Scotland will be looking to channel the heartbreak and frustration of their narrow defeat to the All Blacks last week into their encounter with the free-scoring Pumas at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Sunday 16 November
Scotland | Draw | Argentina
Handicap
Scotland | Argentina
A courageous effort from the Brave Hearts last week to level matters with New Zealand from 17-points down wasn’t enough, with the Scots falling to an eventual 17-25 defeat to extend their long wait for a coveted first win over the ABs.
While Gregor Townsend’s boys deserve kudos for hitting back after such a slow start, many pundits feel the game was there for the taking and that Scotland, in the BBC’s words, “looked immortality in the eye and said not today”. Damn.
Although that opportunity may have passed them by, they have a chance to reclaim some lost pride this weekend when the Pumas make a stop in Edinburgh. In the 11 previous games played between the nations, the Scots have a 6-5 advantage with their last meeting seeing the Celtic side win 52-29 at this venue back in 2022.
The South Americans come off the back of a record 52-28 defeat of Steve Tandy’s Wales in Cardiff in a match that saw them score seven tries and Santi Carreras rack up 17 off the boot.
Although they are unlikely to have as many try-scoring opportunities against a more disciplined Scotland defence, Argentina have proven time and again this season just how lethal their backline can be with ball in hand, and knowing the sensibilities of both teams, it wouldn’t be surprising to see another reasonably high-scoring affair play out at Murrayfield.
The potential return of Zander Fagerson could give Scotland an advantage at scrum time against a powerful Pumas pack, while Finn Russell, who went off injured against the Kiwis, is also expected to be available in a major boost for Townsend’s side.
In what should be an event matched contest featuring the world’s eighth-ranked Scots and sixth-ranked Argentina, the result could come down to whichever team makes the least amount of errors, with any mistakes liable to be punished ruthlessly by either side.
Verdict: Scotland on the board
While Argentina will be coming off a more positive result, the Scots may feel they owe their supporters a big performance after their anguish of a week ago.
