SCOTS CLINCH HISTORIC SERIES TRIUMPH
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Argentina 9 Scotland 13
History was made in the seaside resort of Mar Del Plata tonight as Scotland won their first cap Test series ever.  They completed their 2-0 margin over the Pumas with a brave and resourceful performance in difficult conditions.
Scotland's lock Jiim Hamilton rumbled over for the first score for the visitors - his first ever international try - as early as the second minute and with Dan Parks slotting Scotland's other points the tourists emerged with a memorable triumph raising Scotland two places in the world rankings to seventh in the process.
Kicking off under light rain and a mild breeze, before a crowd of around 30,000, it was Scotland who took early advantage with a scrambled venture over the touchline resulting in a try - Jim Hamilton's first score for his country - the points converted by Parks to put the visitors ahead 0-7. The try stemmed from a superb Parks touch-finder and Johnnie Beattie's lineout catch at two.
A bullish drop goal attempt from Parks after eight minutes just drifted wide of the mark, followed by a penalty to Argentina, slotted successfully by Contepomi to reduce the lead to 3-7. The gap narrowed after 20 minutes with a further penalty for the home side to reduce Scotland's lead to one point (6-7). Four minutes later, however, a stunning penalty from Parks from three metres inside his own half found the mark to increase Scotland's lead to 6-10.
A great break from Max Evans, followed by impressive numbers from the Scots, led to another penalty and a further attempt from Parks but this time he pulled it to the right of the posts, followed a couple of minutes later by another penalty with similar results. A yellow card to the Argentine prop Rodrigo Roncero saw Scotland with the numerical advantage, leading into the break and only a forward pass from Beattie to his fellow Glasgow Warrior John Barclay prevented Scotland from further threatening the home try line.
An unchanged Scotland side took to the field for the remaining 40 minutes with Argentina still a man down. A missed penalty from Contepomi after 56 minutes was mirrored by another penalty awarded to the home side four minutes later, following an off-side by Ross Ford, leading to Rodriguez slotting the penalty and closing the gap to 9-10. Double substitutions for Scotland (Dickinson and Strokosch) were mirrored by the replacement of the Argentina captain, Contepomi, after 62 minutes.
Argentinean indecision led to a further penalty from Parks at the 72-minute mark, landed successfully to edge the Scots ahead 9-13. With both the captain (Kellock) and vice captain (Lawson) off the field, the captaincy reverted to substitute Mike Blair and the score held until the final whistle.
An outstanding defence meant that there's another trophy to stick on the Murryfield mantlepiece, with the double victory also meaning Scotland can climb two places into seventh in the IRB rankings, their highest position since November 2006, having never recorded successive victories against the South Americans on Argentinean soil.

Scotland team (sponsor Murray) to play Argentina in the second Test at Mar del Plata on Saturday 19 June, kick-off 3.45pm local time
 
15 Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais)
14 Sean Lamont (Scarlets)
13 Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Simon Danielli (Ulster)
 
10 Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Rory Lawson (Gloucester) vice-captain
1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh)
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) s
3 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors)
4 Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh)
5 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN
6 Kelly Brown (Glasgow Warriors) 36 caps
8 Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors)
7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors)
 
Substitutes
16 Scott Lawson (Gloucester) (on for Ford, 67 mins)
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester) (on for Jacobsen, 60 min)
18 Scott MacLeod (Edinburgh) (for Kellock, 66 min)
19 Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) for Beattie 62 min)
20 Mike Blair (Edinburgh) (on for Lawson 69 min)
21 Phil Godman (Edinburgh)
22 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) (on for Evans, 71 min)
 
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assistant referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assistant referee: Dave Pearson (England).
Man of the match: John Barclay (Scotland)
Scotland players' player of the match: Jim Hamilton
 
Next >
[ Back ]

This article was posted on 19-Jun-2010, 22:34 by Hugh Barrow.