Argentina on Sunday staged an astonishing rally as they came from 21-0 behind to beat Scotland 33-24 in an Autumn Nations Series rugby international at Murrayfield.
Scotland led 14-0 at halftime and that became 21-0 early in the second half when hooker Ewan Ashman scored the second of his two tries.
Argentina responded with five tries in the final 23 minutes, as skipper Julian Montoya, Rodrigo Isgro, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera and Justo Piccardo all crossed Scotland’s line.
Photo: AFP
Santiago Carreras, on as replacement, kicked four conversions and Argentina won in Edinburgh for the first time in 16 years.
“We fell asleep at the wheel,” Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu, whose side were booed off the field at fulltime, told TNT Sports.
Defeat followed last week’s agonizing loss to New Zealand when Scotland fought back from 17-0 down to 17-17 before suffering a 25-17 loss that left them still searching for a first win in 120 years of Tests with the All Blacks.
“I don’t think I could be as disappointed as I was last week, but I think this is more disappointing,” Australia-born center Tuipulotu told the BBC. “I said to the boys: ‘We are going to have to take a really hard look at ourselves.’”
“We went 21-0 up and were back on their try-line and there’s a huge momentum swing in that moment. The last 10 minutes wasn’t good enough,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said.
Argentina, fresh from a record 52-28 win over Wales in Cardiff, struggled to impose themselves early on at Murrayfield, but as the match headed into the final quarter the Pumas capitalized on a loose pass from Scotland playmaker Finn Russell and a yellow card for Blair Kinghorn to turn the tide in spectacular style.
Scotland were forced into a late change when scrumhalf Ben White dropped out due to illness, with Jamie Dobie taking his place.
The hosts soon found themselves up against 14 men when Argentina fullback Juan Cruz Mallia was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on
Mallia was still in the sin bin when Scotland opened the scoring, Russell sending Jack Dempsey for a try the flyhalf converted.
Mallia missed two penalties either side of Scotland doubling their lead when Ashman piled over for a try, again converted by Russell.
Scotland went further ahead in the 44th minute when Ashman scored a close-range try.
The match turned when, with Scotland threatening a fourth try, Russell’s ambitious pass was intercepted, with Argentina launching a counterattack that led to Scotland fullback Kinghorn being sin-binned in the 54th minute for deliberate offside.
The Pumas, who still had not scored a point, made their man advantage count by scoring twice in three minutes.
Montoya was awarded a 57th-minute try. The hooker was ruled to have grounded the ball over the line following a lengthy television review. Carreras converted.
Pumas wing Rodrigo Isgo then struck from close range for an unconverted try.
Russell’s long-range penalty gave Scotland a 24-12 lead with 16 minutes left, but the Pumas were far from finished.
Argentina lock Pedro Rubiolo scored a pick-and-go try under the posts in the 70th minute. Carreras’ conversion cut Scotland’s lead to five points.
In the 75th minute the Pumas had a fourth try when replacement back row Matera was ruled to have grounded the ball on review.
Carreras’ conversion nudged Argentina two points ahead and, with a minute left, Piccardo compounded Scotland’s woes by running in a try converted by Carreras.
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