Gregor Townsend stood by his squad's performance under pressure
Gregor Townsend's side have incorporated additional layers and layers to their playing style in the past period, but what remains unresolved is their soft underbelly.
This weakness was revealed by an Argentina side who appeared to be dead and buried well before their epic comeback.
Scottish rugby headquarters was shell-shocked at the end, struggling to comprehend how this Scottish side succeeded to take a commanding advantage against a Argentina side looking way below their best and proceed to conjure the most spectacular of meltdowns to suffer an eight-point defeat.
The loss by the New Zealand one week earlier was painful. This felt more devastating. Significantly more troubling.
Match Analysis
Argentina looked a weaker version of the side that overwhelmed Wales in unprecedented fashion in Cardiff, and the home side were in total command for the initial stages.
They built three impressive scores, two from the hooker and one from the back-row.
Holding a substantial advantage, they were camped on the Argentina line, attempting to go for the killer blow. But, as has been the case far too many times, rather than landing the decisive strike, Scotland extended a hand to help their opponents off the mat.
Critical Moment
Finn Russell's ill-advised long floating pass was picked off, the Pumas advanced upfield, the full-back was penalized for illegally preventing the attack, and Julian Montoya went over to breathe new life into what had seemed a moribund contest.
The great teams, the best teams in the world, handle these circumstances. They defuse the tension the game. Townsend's side are not designed like that. They are missing the game intelligence, the game understanding, the mentality to apply pressure the energy out of a match that should be comfortably in their control.
Familiar Problems
It mirrored of Cardiff and the this year's tournament, when Scotland established a substantial advantage and looked for all the world like they were on course for a romp until the smallest sign of resistance created anxiety throughout the complete side.
On that day, they were able to pull themselves back from the point of collapse to win by a narrow margin, but the visitors were in no disposition to let them off the hook here.
Following McKenzie climbed off the bench to crush Scottish hearts against the New Zealand last week, another replacement came on in the concluding period to dominate proceedings.
The Argentina fly-half was like a player inspired, appearing in every scoring opportunity, discovering openings in a tiring Scottish defensive line and inspiring his team to raise their level.
Collapse Analysis
The captain's try was the first of several in an incredible short spell in which the Scottish team completely fell apart. Russell's penalty briefly stemmed the tide to make it 24-12, but the momentum was at the Pumas' backs and Scotland looked helpless to wrestle back the upper hand.
Familiar Problems Repeatedly for Scotland
After the Argentina player went over to complete on a extraordinary turnaround for the Argentina, the Murrayfield faithful made for the doors. They had witnessed sufficient on this specific occasion, and numerous have reached their limit of this team finding it difficult to progress under the head coach.
The head coach cut a disconsolate figure at full-time. He acknowledged it simply was not satisfactory, that his team failed to handle the change in flow at three scores ahead, and they need to be improved.
The concern is it is the same problems that are emerging repeatedly. There is no solace to be taken from playing well for chunks of games, from producing multiple opportunities and not converting, from challenging big teams tightly but not winning.
The coach denies the notion that his team is missing the competitive mindset required to win the crucial encounters, but the indications is not in his support.
Two significant World Cup group matches against Ireland, in 2019 and 2023, remain vivid in the memory. When the stakes was at its maximum, when the star athletes and squads are required to deliver under pressure, Scotland crumbled.
They have delivered major, isolated victories in the Six Nations, but in the extended period on Townsend's watch, when the moment in the season has come to kick on and properly challenge, they have failed.
Gregor Townsend had his tenure prolonged to guide the team through the next global tournament in the southern hemisphere, with the officials at the national union certain that this squad is on the brink of something good.
Scotland has remained on the brink for quite some time, and those followers who vocally criticized their team from the home ground will feel justified to consider: might the advancement finally happen? And might another coach do more effectively?
