DAVID SOLE

In a three-test series, away from home on tour, it is really important to get off to a winning start.

Argentina had not played a Test match at home against international opposition for three years until they faced Scotland yesterday.

You wouldn’t have known it, given the way they started the game.

The Pumas took the tourists apart in the first 40 minutes with a clinical display of sometimes brilliant rugby – looking a different class to a somewhatlethargic Scotland.

It was not much better as the game developed, and Scotland became the fourth side from the Northern Hemisphere to lose this weekend.

The hosts dominated possession in the first half, starving Scotland of the ball.

Defending has improved under Steve Tandy, which was just as well, given that the Scots only had a single venture into the Argentine ‘red zone’ in the half.

Defending was just about all they had to do.

Michael Chieka, the Australian who is now coaching the Pumas, only had a few days to prepare his team, many of whom had flown in from all over the world to play for their country, yet it was Scotland who looked like the team who were making acquaintance with each other for the first time in ages.

Thankfully, the Scots started the

They were then guilty of a lack of concentration

second half with greater energy and enthusiasm.

The tourists scored two tries in quick succession, and Argentina became the ones who were guilty of giving away too many soft penalties.

Yet having dragged themselves back into the game to level the score at 18-all, they were then guilty of a lack of concentration and conceded a third try to Argentina, albeit after some time checking with the TMO.

Playing on a football pitch and at altitude meant that both teams sometimes struggled with their kicks, and finding enough width to exploit gaps in defence.

Yet the fact that there were the same issues for both sides suggested that it was the home team that had adapted better than the tourists.

It was not a great performance by Scotland, and the issue to worry about is that Argentina are only likely to get better in the second and third Tests to come.

The home team had to introduce a new scrum-half when their first-choice pulled up during the warm-up and their fly-half, who was a metronomic goal-kicker, left the field with an ankle injury before the first quarter was up.

And of course, their confidence will be sky high.

Gregor Townsend now has only a few days to try and put things right, while Argentina will be on a high and seeking to win the series next weekend.

The mountain that Scotland have to climb looks even more challenging after this loss.