Contents
08:39 PM
26 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Argentina clear their lines once more but Scotland can take heart as this first half is better than their performance last week.
Scotland set up a driving maul but it stalls so White fizzes it out. Through the phases Argentina knock it on and so we have yet another scrum.
08:37 PM
24 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Kinghorn kicks to the corner but the Scotland line-out fails with Argentina stealing it in the air.
Carreras clears the lines and finds a fantastic touch 50-60m upfield. Another Scotland line-out almost sees the hosts steal it and they need many blockers on the ruck to put in a clearance kick.
Graham take a great catch in the air to create a huge opportunity for Scotland. The ball comes out to Van der Merwe who is turfed into touch.
08:33 PM
21 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Scotland set up an attack but slow ruck ball sees White kick away once again. Argentina knock on from the catch and we have another scrum.
Scotland come away wit it, the ball is fizzed wide and a gruber kick from Graham almost goes out of play. The hosts come away with it, kick away and now the visitors are again in possession. Such quick change of possession here.
Phase, on phase, on phase but Scotland still can’t find a way through,,, yet. Bennett misses a catch and the ball bumbles back. They eventually collect and win a pen. Scrappy game.
08:30 PM
18 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Oh wow! Carreras looked as though he was going to score as he blitzed past Z Fagerson. He is eventually tackled by Van der Merwe and Argentina knock on.
The officials have reversed the knock on decision and they judge Bennett as the one to knock forward.
That was a tense moment for Scotland, who haven’t imposed themselves so far.
Argentina’s scrum is good and they look to score but the hosts seal off in the breakdown. A relief for the visitors who clear their lines.
08:26 PM
15 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Kinghorn went for the kick option as the defence was too good but it goes out on the full. An Argentinian line-out is sloppy and the throw isn’t straight – the commentators blaming the wind for a few of these errors.
Argentina win a scrum penalty as Scotland drive early and they are on the hunt for the first try of the match.
08:24 PM
12 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
This time Scotland’s line-out is good and they also win a penalty advantage and we’re brought back after Scotland knock on.
Kinghorn clears his lines and they look to build a good attack. Their ball speed is slow and so White pumps it into the air. Argentina then knock on from the catch, another scrum. Scotland come away with it but they are heading backwards under Argentina’s cracking defence.
08:21 PM
9 min: Argentina 3-3 Scotland
Bertranou is forced the clear his lines as Scotland camp them out in their own 22. A Scotland line-out comes but Cherry doesn’t throw straight, an Argentinian scrum to come.
The hosts come away with the ball after a reset and it’s a beautiful clearance from Carreras! Rolls into the opposite 22.
08:17 PM
PENALTY BOFFELLI! Argentina 3-3 Scotland
This feels eerily similar to the Wales game earlier today.
Either way Argentina have levelled the scores six minutes in.
08:17 PM
5 min: Argentina 0-3 Scotland
Hutchinson has a good run but slips and so Scotland have to build from deep. However, the TMO spots Gilchrist guilty of a neck roll and that gives Argentina a great field position.
Point to the sticks once more.
08:15 PM
PENALTY KINGHORN! Argentina 0-3 Scotland
And he gets it, that should settle any nerves the Scots were having.
08:14 PM
2 min: Argentina 0-0 Scotland
A good start for Scotland as Argentina knock on in their first attack of the match.
Here comes the first scrum but there’s a delay with Cherry receiving some treatment. The hooker remains on the pitch and it’s a solid scrum from both team but Scotland come away with the advantage.
Townsend’s side starting much brighter here as they edge towards the 22. There’s another pen for Scotland and Kinghorn points to the sticks.
08:11 PM
Kick-off! Argentina 0-0 Scotland
Here we go.
Can Scotland save their series or will Argentina win it this evening? We will find out shortly.
08:04 PM
Here come the teams…
Argentina and Scotland are out on the pitch and the anthems will start shortly!
Kick-off to come in less than 10 minutes.
07:58 PM
Cheika speaks
Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has spoken to Sky:
“It’s obviously with Argentina we are really trying to harness. Everyone understands their passion and we’re trying to turn that into positivity on the pitch.
“I think it is more important to improve. What I believe the team needs is if we can go week on week improvements in the areas that we think will be important for us in the longer term we will be okay.
“It is important for me. To speak to the players it is Argentinian rugby team and I want to do everything I can to speak in their language.”
07:50 PM
Townsend speaks
Gregor Townsend has spoken to Sky ahead of kick-off:
“We watched the games in the morning. The northern hemisphere have certainly put a marker down and we have to do the same.
“We have got to show more energy at the start of the game. We have to ride the moments when Argentina have momentum and we have to believe in the rugby we aspire to play.”
07:47 PM
Watson’s impressive stats
Scotland’s Hamish Watson will look to extend an impressive statistic when he plays his 50th cap today.
He has made 349 consecutive tackles in international rugby without missing one! Will he miss one this evening? I hope not, keep the stat rolling.
07:40 PM
Scotland looking to right wrongs
They were bested last week by a better Argentina side but can Scotland get a win this time around?
Dave Cherry has spoken on last week
“It was a messy game, the ball in play time was obviously incredibly low.
“They slowed us down a lot, we want to play at a tempo, we want to play a fast brand of rugby.
“Hopefully we can alter a few things and get that right on Saturday.”
07:36 PM
Argentina v Scotland
A lovely view over the ground this evening, the match kicking off at 8.10pm BST.
07:27 PM
Scotland pressure
There will be mounting pressure on Scotland’s shoulder as the other three northern hemisphere team who lost last week, Ireland, England and Wales, have won their second Tests.
They won’t want to become the only side not to take their series to a third Test but it will be a tough match.
07:19 PM
Scotland team news
Gregor Townsend has made five changes to the starting XV who lost last Saturday.
Among the changes Hamish Watson returns from injury to win his 50th cap.
Scotland: Hutchinson; Graham, Bennett, Johnson, Van der Merwe; Kinghorn, White; Schoeman, Cherry, Z Fagerson, Skinner, Gilchrist (captain), Darge, Watson, M Fagerson.
Replacements: Turner, Bhatti, Sebastian, Cummings, Christie, Price, Thompson, Rowe.
07:10 PM
Argentina team news
Argentina head coach Michael Cheika has made three changes to his winning starting XV
Rodrigo Bruni comes in at No 8 for Pablo Matera, Juan Imhoff starts at wing as Emiliano Boffell moves to full-back and Santiago Carreras is at fly-half.
Argentina: Boffelli; Cordero, Orlando, De La Fuente, Imhoff; Carreras, Bertranou; Tetaz Chaparro, Montoya (captain), Gomez Kodela, Petti, Alemanno, Martin Gonzalez, Kremer, Bruni.
Replacements: Creevy, Vivas, Sclavi, Paulos, Isa, Ezcurra, Miotti, Moroni.
06:59 PM
Can Scotland bounce back?
Gregor Townsend described Scotland’s Test against Argentina today as a “cup semi-final” after his side lost the opener in the three-match series.
The Scotland head coach can call upon Hamish Watson for the clash in Salta with the fit again British and Irish Lions flanker set to win his 50th Scotland cap.
He is joined in the back row by Rory Darge, who was one of Scotland’s standout players in the Six Nations. Townsend remains adamant the tour is about winning, despite leaving Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Chris Harris to rest at home.
“It’s a cup semi-final and we have got to make sure we put our game out there,” said Townsend. “We didn’t do that at the weekend.
“We know this tour is about a number of things: it’s about seeing a group of players coming together for four weeks and seeing how that environment is; it’s about giving players opportunities, but it is about winning. It’s about winning a Test series and we have made it more difficult for ourselves now not winning the first Test. But all of our efforts are getting put into winning this weekend.”
For Argentina, in their second match under new coach Michael Cheika, former captain Pablo Matera is unavailable for selection after suffering a cheek injury in the first Test in Jujuy.
“We did some tests but there was not much to see and it was a bit of a 50-50 call. He couldn’t train yesterday, so we decided that if he couldn’t train, we’d leave him out,” said Cheika.
Rodrigo Bruni comes in at No 8 in the only change among the forwards. The half-back pairing of Tomas Cubelli and Nicolas Sanchez have been ruled out of the series with Gonzalo Bertranou and Gloucester’s Santiago Carreras coming into start at scrum-half and fly-half respectively.
