Scotland Suffers Unexpected Defeat to Argentina After Squandering Large Lead
The Scottish team was booed at Murrayfield after squandering a 21-0 lead, suffering a surprising 33-24 defeat to an Argentina in excellent form on Saturday. A match that promised to be a comfortable victory for the home side ended in a nightmare.
Scotland seemed headed for victory thanks to a try by Jack Dempsey and two by Ewan Ashman, giving them total control of the scoreboard with more than 50 minutes of play. However, the Pumas, who had shown a disappointing performance up to that moment, took advantage of an imprecise pass from Finn Russell and a yellow card to Blair Kinghorn to score five tries in the last half hour, leaving the home side completely demoralized.Santiago Carreras was fundamental in Argentina’s victory.Scotland were forced to make a late change to their starting lineup, with Ben White, the scrum-half, out through illness, being replaced by Jamie Dobie.
The home team started strong and were up against 14 men five minutes into the game, when fullback Juan Cruz Mallia received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
The first try came in the 13th minute, while Mallia was still on the bench, when Russell set up Dempsey, who ran to score. The fly-half added the extra points.
Mallia had a disheartening start, missing a penalty from the 10-meter line in the 24th minute. The Scots extended their lead four minutes later, when Ashman scored, with Russell converting.
Mallia missed another penalty from distance shortly after the half-hour mark, before D’Arcy Rae, Scotland’s prop, was replaced by Elliot Millar Mills.
The Scots, deservedly with a 14-0 lead at halftime, extended their lead in the 44th minute when Ashman scored his second try of the match, again assisted by Dobie. Russell converted the try.
The home team seemed to be in control and were threatening a fourth try when an ambitious pass from Russell was intercepted, allowing the visitors to launch a counterattack that resulted in a yellow card for Kinghorn in the 54th minute.
The Pumas took advantage of their numerical advantage, scoring twice in a three-minute span at the end of the third quarter.
The hooker Julián Montoya scored the first try in the 57th minute. Then, the wing Rodrigo Isgro scored, but Carreras missed the conversion.
Russell scored a penalty in the 64th minute, reducing the difference to 24-12. Argentina continued their comeback, and Pedro Rubiolo scored a try in the 70th minute. Carreras converted, leaving the score at five points.
The Pumas scored a fourth try in the 75th minute. Justo Piccardo sealed the misery of the Scots by scoring in the 79th minute, with Carreras converting.
