Match Report: Argentina U20 26-44 Scotland U20

An inventive display, full of decisive forward pack prowess and indefatigable defence saw Fergus Pringle’s charges advance to Friday’s play-off where one more win would match the country’s best-ever tournament finish.

Two of the competition’s most impressive scrums went up against one another and the early indications were that Scotland had an edge – the game’s first penalty coming at by way of dominance at that very set piece.

They soon repeated the trick with barely five minutes on the clock and went to work from an attacking lineout with Nairn Moncrieff going close on the left wing before Argentina were called back for an offside in the build-up as the penalty count mounted against the South Americans.

And Scotland made hay when Ollie Blyth-Lafferty barged his way over the line after a tap-and-go from the previous transgression. Jake Dalziel knocked over the extras from in front of the posts (0-7, 8 mins).

The ‘Pumitas’ made a few metres from the restart but early Scottish intent in defence forced a knock-on to kill hopes of an instant reply.

It didn’t take long for Argentina to make their first foray into Scottish territory with a kick to touch following a sternum-high tackle penalty. From that lineout, they probed and prodded, going close and like Scotland, being handed an offside penalty. However, a clever pilfer from Dan Kelly forced a knock-on with the Argentines essentially on the line.

If they were camped in the Scottish half, then the one criticism would be repeated unforced errors and with temperatures necessitating a colling break, a quarter of the game had elapsed without any amends to the scoreboard.

The penalty count was bound to catch up with Argentina at some point and it was scrum-half Benjamin Arocena – a livewire to that point – who fell foul of referee Ben Connor and was sent to the bin.

With a man advantage, Scotland took seconds to reap rewards, with captain joe Roberts peeling off an attacking lineout maul to go over for his fourth try of the tournament. Dalziel’s conversion was tidy (0-14, 23 mins).

In a swing that few saw coming, a huge Argentine pack effort then saw them seemingly march to the line, with Dan Halkon getting a yellow card for an illegal maul entry to add insult to a penalty try (7-14, 27 mins).

As they have done so often though, Scotland were primed to hit back and from another attacking lineout, scrum-half Hamish MacArthur spotted a gap down the left side and darted for the line, eventually putting in Moncrieff for his side’s third try (7-19, 32 mins).

An eighth first-half penalty, again at scrum time, led referee Connor to warn Argentina captain Tomas Dande as to his side’s conduct. A minute later there was no option but to send another man to the bin, with Nicolas Cambiasso the guilty party.

Will Pearce knocked on under extreme defensive pressure when flying towards the line as Scotland, with no bonus points at this stage of the competition, sought a fictitious one nonetheless.

It didn’t come, mainly through more superb Argentine defence, as the fist half drew to a close with Scotland in the marginal ascendancy.

Half-time: Argentina U20 7-19 Scotland U20

The team chasing made far the better start to the second half with stand-off Manuel Giannantonio scampering up the right wing to take his team into the 22. Scotland were only saved by a clever turnover and an outstanding clearance by Dalziel, but the warning shot had been fired.

More Argentine ill-discipline swept away any momentum, though, with another attacking lineout paying dividends, albeit in a different manner. From a clean take, flanker Harvey Preston popped to MacArthur and the scrum-half finished with aplomb (7-24, 46 mins).

Argentina hauled themselves back into contention with an inventive score form winger Bautista Lescano, finishing well from a perfectly-judged chip by his stand-off Giannantonio, who couldn’t quite convert the extra points (12-24, 52 mins).

Rory McHaffie then almost scored a try for the ages. Acrobatically clearing an Argentina defender in his own 22, the full-back almost ran the length, chipping and chasing successfully before an attempted sliding finish brought about an unforced knock-on. Play was brought back by the referee for McHaffie having illegally jumped the aforementioned tackle, which would have rendered any try academic.

It proved decisive when Argentina centre Pedro Coll rumbled over from close range, with substitute Federico Laporte putting his team to within five points (19-24, 60 mins).

Scotland desperately needed to arrest the shift in momentum and once more it was the skipper who delivered, and once more from an attacking lineout. This time it was a patient affair, Roberts and his pack marching a full 20 metres to the line for the hooker to crash over. Dalziel missed the conversion but there was daylight once more (19-29, 63 mins).

They had to capitalise on such a situation and both Dan Kelly and Asa Stewart-Harris went mightily close, before substitute prop Jamie Stewart thrusted his way over the line to put the contest out of Argentine clutches. Dalziel’s conversion added the gloss (19-36, 66 mins).

Christian Lindsay led a marauding charge up the right touchline, making full 30 metres before being hauled down by two players and another Argentinian transgression brought about another yellow – their third of the afternoon, for Coll.

From the lineout, Scotland got a fifth, final nail in the coffin, with Harvey Preston the beneficiary and capping a fine afternoon with a try (19-41, 70 mins).

Argentina struck back with a fine converted solo score from centre Ramon Fernandez (26-41, 75 mins).

Henry Kesterton thought he had got in on the act, reacting quickest to a pinball charge down on the opposition line, but the ball had touched the dead-ball area by the barest of margins.

A late penalty for holding on in the tackle gave Dalziel the easiest of penalty goals to seal a magnificent victory (26-44, 80 mins).

The young Scots now wait to see who they will face in Friday’s fifth-place eliminator, with Wales and Australia playing later today to determine that outcome.

Full-time: Argentina U20 26-44 Scotland U20

Argentina U20: Simon Pfister, Bautista Lescano, Ramon Fernandez, Pedro Coll, Joaquin Daireux; Manuel Giannantonio, Benjamin Arocena; Fabrizio Cebron, Nicolas Cambiasso, Bautista Mallea, Joaquin Viale, Felipe Hygonenq, Tomas Dande (captain), Basilio Canas Federico Torre.

Replacements: Manuel Camargo, Laureano Diaz, Federico Narvaez, Jeremy Annand, Franco Mizawak, Juan Preumayr, Federico Laporte, AN Other.

Scotland U20: Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh Rugby), Dan Kelly (Watsonian FC), Henry Kesterton (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Bryden (Glasgow Warriors), Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby); Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle School/Melrose RFC), Hamish MacArthur (Edinburgh Rugby); Will Pearce (Cardiff Met/Bristol Bears), Joe Roberts (Glasgow Warriors) (captain), Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby), Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh Rugby), Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Byrd (Edinburgh Rugby), Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks), Oliver Finlayson-Russell (University of St Andrews).

Replacements: Jack Utterson (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Finlayson-Russell, 50 mins), Jamie Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Pearce, 50 mins), Jackson Rennie (for Blyth-Lafftery, 66 mins), Finlay Mather (Grammar Tec) (for Appleby, 59 mins), Archie Appleby (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Byrd, 15 mins), Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens) (for MacArthur, 50 mins), Harry Soboil (Edinburgh Rugby) (for Bryden, 67 mins), Ewan Caven (Gloucester Rugby/Nottingham University) (for Moncrieff, 67 mins).

Referee: Ben Connor (WRU)
Assistant Referees: David Vosalevu (FRU) and Shota Tevzadze (GRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)