Townsend's Scotland In Troubled Waters After Pumas Collapse

Scotland person added caller dimensions and layers to their games successful caller times, but what has ne'er been eradicated is their soft underbelly.

It was brutally exposed by an Argentina broadside who should person been dormant and buried agelong earlier their epic comeback.

Murrayfield was shell-shocked astatine nan end, struggling to comprehend really this Scotland squad managed to return a 21-0 lead against a Pumas broadside looking measurement beneath their champion and proceed to conjure nan astir spectacular of meltdowns to suffer by 8 points.

The conclusion by nan All Blacks 1 week anterior was painful. This was worse. Much worse.

Argentina looked a ray imitation of nan broadside that walloped Wales successful record-breaking manner successful Cardiff and Scotland were successful complete power for nan first 50 minutes.

They constructed 3 fantabulous tries, 2 from Ewan Ashman and 1 from Jack Dempsey.

At 21-0 up, they were camped connected nan Argentina line, looking to spell for nan jugular. But, arsenic has been nan lawsuit acold excessively galore times, alternatively than landing nan slayer blow, Scotland extended a manus to thief their opponents disconnected nan canvas.

Finn Russell's unnecessary agelong looping walk was picked off, nan Pumas collapsed downfield, Blair Kinghorn was sent to nan bin for illegally halting nan onslaught and Julian Montoya went complete to activity caller life into what had seemed a moribund contest.

The awesome teams, nan champion teams successful nan world, negociate these moments. They return nan sting retired nan game. Scotland are not built for illustration that. They deficiency nan nous, nan crippled understanding, nan mentality to compression nan life retired of a lucifer that should beryllium firmly successful their grasp.

It was reminiscent of Cardiff and nan 2024 Six Nations, erstwhile Scotland raced into a 27-0 lead and looked for each nan world for illustration they were connected people for a romp to triumph until nan slightest hint of guidance dispersed panic passim nan full team.

On that day, they managed to propulsion themselves backmost from nan separator of nan cliff to triumph by a point, but nan Pumas were successful nary temper to fto them disconnected nan hook here.

After Damien McKenzie climbed disconnected nan chair to break Scottish hearts against nan All Blacks past week, different substitute entered nan fray successful nan 2nd half to bargain nan show.

Santiago Carreras was for illustration a man possessed, popping up successful each attack, uncovering gaps successful a tiring Scottish defence and inspiring his squad to move done nan gears.

Julian Montoya's effort was nan first of 4 successful an astonishing 18-minute spell successful which nan Scots wholly capitulated. Russell's punishment concisely stemmed nan travel to make it 24-12, but nan upwind was astatine Argentina's backs and Scotland looked powerless to wrestle backmost nan momentum.

When Justo Piccardo went complete to put nan seal connected a stunning comeback for nan visitors, nan Murrayfield religious headed for nan exits. They had seen capable connected this peculiar time and galore person seen capable of this squad struggling to footwear connected nether Gregor Townsend.

The caput coach trim a disconsolate fig astatine full-time. He admitted it simply was not bully enough, that his squad grounded to grip nan momentum plaything astatine 21-0 and they simply person to beryllium better.

The rumor is it is nan aforesaid problems that are cropping up again and again. There is nary comfortableness to beryllium taken from playing good for chunks of games, from creating galore opportunities and not converting, from moving large teams adjacent but not winning.

Townsend rejects nan proposal his squad lacks nan mentality required to triumph nan biggest games, but nan grounds is not successful his favour.

Two important World Cup excavation games against Ireland, successful 2019 and 2023, stay caller successful nan mind. When nan unit was astatine its height, erstwhile nan large players and teams are expected to really measurement up, Scotland crumbled.

They person delivered big, one-off victories successful nan Six Nations, but successful nan 8 years connected Townsend's watch, erstwhile nan infinitesimal successful nan run has arrived to footwear connected and decently challenge, they person foundered.

Townsend had his statement extended to lead nan squad done nan 2027 World Cup successful Australia, pinch nan bosses astatine Scottish Rugby convinced that this broadside is connected nan cusp of thing good.

They person been connected nan cusp for rather immoderate clip and those fans who loudly booed their squad from nan Murrayfield transportation will consciousness entitled to wonder: will that adjacent measurement ever beryllium taken? And could personification other do better?