HANG ON A SECONDS
Back-up Scots give Gregor headache for first Argy test
GREGOR TOWNSEND admits his fringe stars have given him a headache ahead of Scotland’s first Test against Argentina.
The coach had his team in mind for Saturday’s clash in San Salvador de Jujuy but the second string’s seven-try win over Chile may force a rethink.
Edinburgh winger Damien Hoyland led the way for Scotland A with a hat-trick, while George Horne grabbed two tries before late scores from fellow Glasgow players Rufus McLean and Ali Price.
Ross Thompson slotted four conversions as Blair Kinghorn added another in Santiago.
A couple of those players might just have played their way into contention to face the Pumas in the first Test of a three-match series.
Townsend said: “We’re 90 per cent sure of the team we’re going out with this week.
“There were some places to play for here, more on the bench than in the starting team, and we now have our English-based players with us.
“They’re available for next week, so that’s another 12 players available. We go up to Jujuy on Wednesday afternoon after being in Buenos Aires for a few days and there will be a group who won’t come up with us.”
Townsend was pretty pleased with how things went against Chile, including a long spell in the second half when his team had to defend.
But he knows the matches against Argentina will provide much tougher tests.
He said: “We knew this game was a chance to see players who will not be involved in next week’s Test but it was also very good preparation for us.
“In a way I’m glad we had to get those defensive sets in the second half.
“At the time, you’re thinking we should be scoring more tries. But to go through that period when we had to defend is great practice for us because we’ll have to defend a lot next week and throughout the three Tests.
“The game of rugby is with the ball and without the ball.
“Our hustle and work back when we lost ball and Chile made breaks were excellent.
“It’s no bad thing to concede points as well. It reminds everybody we have work to do this week when it’ll be a big step up in terms of opposition and the quality of players we will be up against.
“Chile are an improving team but not in the top 20 in the world. Argentina are eighth in the world and have a squad of professionals in the top clubs in Europe.
“Argentina will be a much bigger step up.”