Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Scotland have produced a polished seven-try performance in a high-scoring encounter to stun hosts Argentina 47-38 and win their opening game of the Nations Championship in Cordoba.
Scotland, without injured talisman Finn Russell at flyhalf, ran in three tries before the break and four after for a convincing victory in the new competition over a lacklustre-looking Argentina, who only nine months ago had come from 21-0 down to beat the Scots 33-24 at Murrayfield.
Captain Sione Tuipulotu, prop Pierre Schoeman and centre Rory Hutchinson had the visitors 19-10 up at the break and Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, debutant Gregor Hiddlestone and Kyle Rowe added the rest of the tries.
Fergus Burke and Tom Jordan kicked over three conversions each.
Argentina, who were on the board first, scored five tries from Joaquin Oviedo, Rodrigo Isgro, Thomas Rapetti, Lucio Cinti, and Agustin Moyano, with Tomas Albornoz converting them all plus adding a penalty.
Oviedo’s try came after seven minutes, with the No.8 bursting over from a lineout maul, but Scotland quickly got themselves into the game after going through 14 phases before Tuipulotu crossed the line 10 minutes later.
Schoeman’s powerful surge over the line in the 22nd minute was set up by Rowe’s break, and Hutchinson’s try came off the platform of a strong scrum and a cleverly timed pass from Tuipulotu.
Santiago Carreras’s grubber kick three minutes into the second half allowed winger Isgro to reduce the deficit, but Scotland were quick to reassert their lead as replacement Brown scored from a maul in the 51st minute.
“We knew it was going to be pretty similar to what we faced in the autumn and we knew there was going be a point in the game where we had to wrestle back momentum,” said Tuipulotu.
Lock Cummings propelled Scotland further ahead with a try four minutes later, although Argentina threatened a comeback when Rapetti scored with 25 minutes left.
However, there was again an almost immediate response from Scotland as Hiddlestone scored, following another maul, and then five minutes later Rowe out on the wing ensured Scotland were comfortably ahead.
Argentina suddenly awoke from their slumber in the final 14 minutes when Cinti scored their fourth try, securing a bonus point, and Moyano further reduced the deficit in the last minute.
But captain Julian Montoya made clear it was not a satisfactory showing.
“We weren’t good enough, the intensity and urgency weren’t there. We lost every contest in the air and the crumbs on the floor, and the maul wasn’t good either,” he said.
