Scotland had recorded only one win in four attempts against Argentina and their success rate is now 20 per cent. They failed to rise above the ordinary in an error-strewn performance that Edinburgh's persistent drizzle cannot entirely excuse. On successive weekends Scotland have struggled to cope with a large set of forwards, and with New Zealand visiting on Saturday they can expect little respite.
Felipe Contepomi's equalising penalty on 20 minutes countered Gregor Townsend's effort seven minutes earlier, but there was little enough to shout about in the opening quarter. Indeed the entire first half was strangely flat and the stop-start nature of the play did little to lift the crowd.
Scotland's problems were personified by the centre John Leslie, who had a miserable afternoon. If Leslie has a fault it is his slow distribution and, in addition to several handling errors, his failure to exploit the few obvious overlaps Scotland created cost them dear.
Scotland's full back Derrick Lee, a last-minute replacement for the injured Glenn Metcalfe, summed up a tentative opening by both sides. Lee has spent most of the season on Edinburgh's reserve bench after a year lost to injury, so it was little surprise he spilled early high balls in what was only his third start this season, although he improved markedly as the match progressed.
Scotland survived an early scare when Contepomi's crossfield kick found his left wing, Diego Albanese, only yards from Scotland's line, but Cameron Murray and Lee scrambled away the danger.
When the first try arrived on 24 minutes it was at the opposite end and proved farcical. Agustin Pichot, Argentina's scrumhalf, attempted a clearance from a five-metre scrum, but Andy Nicol's lunge saw the kick flop into Townsend's arms and the outhalf trotted the five yards to the line. His conversion missed by miles.
Argentina's sizeable pack then set up camp deep in Scottish territory. Contepomi pulled back three points on 37 minutes after an offside at a ruck, and given the pressure Scotland endured throughout the second quarter, the half-time whistle came as a relief.
Scotland's precarious 8-6 lead was equally precarious at 11-9 shortly after the restart as Contepomi and Townsend swapped penalties. Argentina then scored their only try with the best move of the match. Latching on to a spill by Jon Petrie, Pichot spun the ball wide right to where the full back Ignacio Corleto's pace took him round Leslie's despairing tackle.
Losing the lead introduced some much-needed Scottish urgency and their response was immediate. From a lineout Leslie took the ball into Argentina's midfield before it was recycled to the left. Townsend did a dance, Cameron Murray ran straight and Lee cut inside off the left touchline to score his first international try.
Appropriately enough Contepomi added the last six points with two late penalties which the crowd roused themselves to jeer heartily. It was the most noise they had made all afternoon.
SCOTLAND: Lee; C Murray, McLaren, J Leslie, Reid; Townsend, Nicol; Smith (capt), G Bulloch, Stewart (Graham, 60 mins); S Murray, Grimes, White, Mower, Petrie (Simpson, 56 mins).
ARGENTINA: Corleto; Camardon, Orengo, Arbizu (capt), Albanese; Contepomi, Pichot; Reggiardo (Grau, 65 mins), Mendez, Hasan, Lobbe, Alvarez, Phelan (Ostiglia, 65 mins), Martin, Longo.
Referee: J Jutge (France).
