Scotland wing Sean Maitland scored the decisive try in their 14-9 win over Argentina at Murrayfielod on Saturday
© AFP ANDY BUCHANAN
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Nov 25 – Winger Sean Maitland scored the only try of a dull Murrayfield encounter to help Scotland to a 14-9 victory over Argentina in their final November international.
Captain and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw kicked three penalties from four attempts to help them past Argentina, who paid the price for failing with four of their seven kicks at the post.
The Pumas’ record points scorer Nicolas Sanchez nailed just three of his six efforts while full-back Emiliano Bofelli also pushed one wide.
The defeat — their fifth in a row against the Scots — means Argentina head into their final match of the year, against the Barbarians at Twickenham next week, on a five-match losing streak.
Scotland attacked from the kick off and when prop Santiago Medrano was penalised for offside Laidlaw stepped up to give the hosts a 3-0 lead with three minutes on the clock.
Six minutes later the Pumas ought to have levelled the scores but Sanchez sliced his first penalty attempt wide of the target from 25 metres out, head on to the posts.
The play from both side was pedestrian and Scotland fly half Adam Hastings put his side in trouble with a telegraphed attempted clearance kick that was charged down, leading to the Glasgow player having to hastily backtrack to touch down the loose ball in his team’s in-goal area.
A high tackle by Hastings on winger Ramiro Moyano provided Argentina with a second penalty shot after 22 minutes and this time it was the turn of Bofelli to push his effort wide.
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend experimented, with his first choice fly half Finn Russell starting at inside centre for the first time but the Racing 92 pivot was also off-form, making a hash of a 22 metre drop out and forcing his centre partner Huw Jones to race to the left corner to beat Moyano to a touchdown.
It took Argentina 27 minutes to get points on the board, Sanchez making no mistake with a penalty, but five minutes later Scotland were back in front thanks to reliable Laidlaw landing his second penalty.
Three minutes into the second-half Hastings conceded another penalty and Sanchez squared the contest at 6-6, before pushing wide another attempt that would have put his side in front for the first time.
Instead, it was the Scots who regained the lead courtesy of a third Laidlaw penalty after a high tackle on Jones by veteran hooker Agustin Creevy.
Going into the final quarter, Townsend restored Russell to outside half, replacing Hastings with inside centre Alex Dunbar.
It gave the Scots just enough composure to finish the job. After Sanchez missed a third penalty, Scotland full back Stuart Hogg fed Maitland for a 65th minute try in the right corner.
Laidlaw hit the posts with his conversion attempt, but Argentina’s response was limited to Sanchez firing home a third penalty.
