Scotland vs Argentina Second Test

[Finerz]

Scotland beat Argentina in the first test 24 - 16, with all the points coming from Dan Parks boot, and now face the chance to win the first away series in Scottish Rugby history. But I am not quite convinced.

To maintain good results, you need tries. It is a fundimental part of the game, and a team cannot survive that long by just penalties and drop goals.

Although Parks keeps the score board ticking over, I believe that sometimes makes the wrong decision. Usually his drop goals come from lots of phases in the forwards, but I think sometimes, he doesnt give enough time for a try to be scored before he gives up and goes for the drop goal.

However, the Argentinian defence was very strong, and in the Six Nations, we did score some tries in good performances. And I would still prefer Scotland to win with penalties than lose with tries. Still all credit to Dan Parks for his performances, but just give a try a chance once in a while.

 

[SelimNiai]

Expect a very similar game, after winning the 1st Test playing a tactical kicking game Scotland won't want to change a winning formula. It'll be up to the Pumas to force them to chase the game and as the highlighted problem of lack of Scottish cutting edge manifests then the Pumas will become favourites.

 

[Conal]

id love the oumas to find their 2007 form again they where soo good

 

[Seaton]

Here's hoping for the best, got a funny feeling Scotland are either going to give a good beating, or get one

Please let it be the former

 

[Paterson13]

Does anyone where I can watch a replay of this? I will be in cottage country tommorow and can't see it live.

Thanks

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It'll be on BBC iPlayer (bbc.co.uk/iplayer), but that's only in the UK so you'll need to sort yourself out with a British proxy (google it, there'll be plenty of guides)

 

[MichaelBoard]

All the best to the Scots. A quality team who are great underachievers and never quite get the luck imo, this years 6 Nations was evidence of that. Losing to France by only 9 points, not turning up against the Italians but usually a game that they would and should win with no disrespect to the Italians, a draw against England which could've went either way and losing to Wales in the cruellest way (was brilliant and exciting to watch as a Welshman though), a game they should and thoroughly deserved to win with Dan Parks man of the match award fully justified as he was superb all tournament and is pivotal to their success. Though I do agree Conal that it would be good to see the pumas return to the form that made them such a force in 2007 world cup and got them to 4 or 5 in the irb rankings was it?

 

[Seaton]

I still feel that Argentian rugby is/was based around a few key players, that have either retired or don't perform as they once did (see Contemponi), which leads me to question their introduction to the tri-nations, especially as they don't have their own professional league, but that is because the ARU (Argentina Rugby Union) won't allow a professional league?!?

Argentina is not going to improve by getting gubbed 50-14 by Aus, NZ and SA, with the same players, Argentina's problem lies in it's lack of depth, which, as noted above, is I feel due to the lack of professionalism of Argentian rugby.

 

[Seaton]

H/t Scotland 10-6 Argentina

Hamilton try, Parks conversion and penalty, missed two penalties
Contemponi 2 penalties

Argentina will start the second half with 14 men, for the first 6 minutes (yellow card)

 

[Seaton]

FT Scotland 13-9 Argentina

Scots were pummeled in the second half, but the rain aided them by making Argentina's dominance in possesion worthless

 

[Feicarsinn]

Awful, awful game. Scoreline says it all really. Argentina are going to get massacred in the 4N.

 

[Finerz]

Well done to Scotland for a good perfromance, their 3rd away win in a row, their first ever away test series win and against a strong Argentina side. And we got a try!! We will now overtake wales in the world rankings, and possibly Argentina aswell to get us to 7th. Thank you Andy Robinson for what you have done for our team!

 

[Seaton]

Aye, not only is it the 3rd successive win (first time since 2003), with the draw against England, this means the Scots are unbeaten in 4...
unbeaten in 4...
unbeaten in 4...

It sounds sooooo much better than, well, the opposite of winning
UNBEATEN IN 4!!!!!
ARE YOU LISTENING NAAS ****ING BOTHA?

 

[Wally]

I feel sorry for anyone who was put through that spectacle. Just an awful game. Both sides looked poor and played some truly negative rugby.

What has happened to Argentina since 2007, have front line players retired? It seems like they are going backwards rapidly. From finishing third at the world cup to losing both games in a home series to Scotland is a massive fall from grace. It's great that they have an Argentinian national coaching them, but perhaps they need to source a high quality manager to help develop their game and give them direction before they enter the 4N in 2012.

 

[polonius]

While this might appear to have been a dour encounter, the shocking conditions dictated the tactics; teeming rain throughout the match meant it was never going to be a feast of sparkling back play. I suspect even the wonderful backs of the other major Southern hemisphere sides would have struggled to make a decent fist of things.

This was one for the purest and required a referee who not only had a detailed grasp of the intricacies of the scrumming laws and rucks and mauls but was also sympathetic to the problems the conditions caused the players ... and in Christophe Berdos they had one. He was my Man-of-the-Match as he kept the balance between trying to allow the game to flow and yet ensuring that infringements and errors were not ignored.

My conclusions are ... rugby in Scotland is definately on the up. Victories over Australia, Ireland and Argentina x2 along with a draw against England and a very close encounter at Cardiff make this one of the best seasons in years (decades) and with 3 of the 5 Six Nations games at home next year it is possible they might break out of the bottom two positions in the final table.

As for Argentina ... a better understanding of the laws governing rucks and mauls would help as again they gave away too many penalties. I fear for them in the enlarged Tri Nations.

 

[Seaton]

While this might appear to have been a dour encounter, the shocking conditions dictated the tactics; teeming rain throughout the match meant it was never going to be a feast of sparkling back play. I suspect even the wonderful backs of the other major Southern hemisphere sides would have struggled to make a decent fist of things.

This was one for the purest and required a referee who not only had a detailed grasp of the intricacies of the scrumming laws and rucks and mauls but was also sympathetic to the problems the conditions caused the players ... and in Christophe Berdos they had one. He was my Man-of-the-Match as he kept the balance between trying to allow the game to flow and yet ensuring that infringements and errors were not ignored.
.

I fully agree, at first I winced when I saw/heard he was French, but he was very fair and to me seemed to be a world class ref, I could not have said what you did any better

 

[SelimNiai]

Dour game but I doubt any Scot will give a hoot about that. Well done to em