Scotland 19 Argentina 23: A fighting performance from Scotland was insufficient to secure an elusive win for either Frank Hadden on his debut as full-time coach or the meagre 14,491 fans who struggled to create any atmosphere.
That the Scots lost this game probably owed more to a 20-10 penalty count against them than to a disappointing Argentina team. "It is extremely hard to win any kind of rugby match when that happens to you and it was a puzzle," said Hadden of the referee's decisions. "We definitely didn't get the rub of the green."
Undoubtedly the most important of those calls against Scotland was the penalty try awarded by New Zealand referee Kelvin Deaker after an interminable series of assaults on the Scottish line. It came 10 minutes from time and handed the visitors the lead. By then, the home forwards were short-handed with number eight Simon Taylor in the sinbin.
Alan Jacobsen was the culprit as he was twice spotted kicking the ball out of the opposition scrum, and had Taylor not already been there the prop would surely have gone to the sinbin.
Still, the Scots could have grabbed victory in a frantic final few minutes as they threw their bodies at the Argentinian line. Hooker Dougie Hall had a score disallowed by the video referee. Flanker Ally Hogg, the stand-out forward for Scotland, was driven over the line but failed to ground the ball, and Chris Paterson was unlucky to find the immovable object that is lock Ignacio Lobbe standing between him and a cross-field kick from outhalf Dan Parks.
Australian-born Parks continued his rehabilitation after last season's traumas. It was he who grabbed the Scots' only try, a chip and chase in the first half, and a 25-metre drop-goal that had given his side a lead they thoroughly deserved.
All the Argentinians managed in the first half were two penalties from outhalf Federico Todeschini. The two kickers swapped penalties - two to Paterson, one to Todeschini - after the break before Leonelli struck in the left-hand corner, Taylor was caught with his hand in a ruck and even an off-colour Argentinian eight were not to be stopped by seven men.
Scotland's Sean Lamont, who spent much of the game watching from the wing, wasn't impressed with the Pumas' powerhouse performance, especially the overwhelming forward power that forced Scotland into collapsing a scrum near the end of the game, leading to the penalty try.
"It is frustrating, but it really is hard to stop the driving maul," the winger said. "The rules need to be changed, because the referees give a lot of time for teams to set up and get going again.
"It's good if it works, but it's damn boring to watch from the stands, but it's part of the game so what can you do? We were on top of them for most of the game and the penalty try obviously put them back in it, which is a horrible way to lose a game."
Scotland take on Samoa next weekend.
* Guardian Service
SCORERS: Edinburgh - Try: D Parks (23). Con: C Paterson (24). Drop Goal: D Parks (15). Pens: C Paterson (27, 51, 56). Argentina - Try: F Leonelli (53). Pen Try: (70). Cons: F Todeschini (54, 71). Pens: F Todeschini (6, 31, 59).
SCOTLAND: Paterson; R Lamont, Di Rollo, Henderson, S Lamont; Parks, Blair; Kerr, Hall, Douglas; Hamilton, Murray; White, Taylor, Hogg. Not used: Lawson, Smith, Jacobsen, Kellock, Brown, Cusiter, Southwell.
ARGENTINA: Martin Hernandez; Aramburu, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Leonelli; Todeschini, Pichot; Roncero, Ledesma, Hasan; Fernandez Lobbe, Bouza; Durand, J Fernandez Miranda, Schusterman. Not used: Scelzo, Guinazu, Carizza, Leguizamon, N Fernandez Miranda, Borges, Stortoni.
Referee: K Deaker (New Zealand).
