Brothers Richie and Jonny Gray paved the way for Scotland’s first home win against Argentina for 24 years, a convincing 41-31 victory.
The Pumas arrived in Edinburgh on a high following their maiden Rugby Championship win against Australia in Mendoza last month but, despite making a flying start, Daniel Hourcade’s side were unable to stretch their winning streak on Scottish soil to six matches.
For Vern Cotter, in charge of his first home game as Scotland head coach, it was a second victory in five months against Argentina, following a 21-19 win in Cordoba in June.
It was inspired, to a large degree, by the dynamic influence of Cotter’s scrum half and captain, Greig Laidlaw, who fashioned all four of his side’s tries and kicked four conversions and a penalty.
There were just two minutes on the clock when Argentina struck. Openside flanker Javier Ortega Desio picked up a loose ball on the left wing and galloped 55 metres to score a try that was converted by fly-half Nicolas Sanchez.
It was a nightmare start for Scotland but in the sixth minute they levelled the scores at 7-7.
From a ruck just inside the Argentina 22m line, Laidlaw and Sean Maitland shipped the ball right and lock Richie Gray forced his way through a defensive gap for his second try for his country. Laidlaw, Scotland’s captain and scrum-half, landed the conversion.
A Sanchez penalty pushed the Pumas into a 10-7 lead in the 16th minute but, after Laidlaw had struck the posts with an attempt at the other end, Argentina were forced to make a change in personnel, the injured blindside flanker Rodrigo Baez making way for Facundo Isa.
The visitors were also a man down in the 21st minute when winger Juan Imoff was yellow carded for obstructing Tommy Seymour. Scotland exploited the numerical advantage with two converted tries in the space of two minutes.
First, in the 23rd minute, Laidlaw fed Gray’s younger brother and fellow second row, Jonny, for a score on the left.
Then the razor sharp Laidlaw caught Argentina napping, taking a quick tap penalty and launching a mazy run before releasing wing Sean Maitland for a try in the right corner.
A Laidlaw penalty extended their lead to 24-10 before the interval and then, seven minutes into the second half, the Gloucester scrum-half made a lightning break from a ruck to set up fullback Stuart Hogg for a try in the right corner.
Laidlaw squeezed over the touchline conversion and landed a long range penalty to take his tally for the afternoon to 14 points before departing to a huge ovation in the 64th minute.
Seymour added a fifth try for Scotland in the 71st minute while Argentina salvaged a measure of pride with three tries in the final ten minutes – a penalty try plus a brace by replacement scrum half Tomas Cubelli.
