Scotland Take Confidence From Rivalry With Pumas

Scotland have made five changes in their starting team for Sunday’s crucial Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Argentina in Wellington. Head coach Andy Robinson said: “I have picked a team to beat Argentina – the selection is simply about this match and we must view it as another match, while affording our opponents the respect they deserve. Scotland are unbeaten in this year’s competition to date and are aiming for their sixth successive victory in a sequence that stretches back to the 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship match against Italy at Murrayfield. Success in the Cake Tin on Sunday will be the first time since the 1989-90 Grand Slam season that Scotland have won six games back-to-back. The changes from the team that defeated Georgia 15-6 in Invercargill last week see Scotland’s most-capped male player Chris Paterson and Ruaridh Jackson recalled to the back division instead of Rory Lamont and Dan Parks at full-back and stand-off respectively. In the pack, prop Geoff Cross, lock Richie Gray and openside flanker John Barclay – who played in the opening 34-24 success against Romania – return in place of Euan Murray, Nathan Hines and Ross Rennie. Captaincy remains with scrum-half Rory Lawson, who has a 100% record as Scotland skipper with four wins from four starts as first man out of the tunnel. Head coach Andy Robinson said: “I have picked a team to beat Argentina – the selection is simply about this match and we must view it as another match, while affording our opponents the respect they deserve. “We have met Argentina five times since the last Rugby World Cup so we both know each others’ styles and strengths. “Of course we can draw confidence from our victories in Tucuman and Mar del Plata last year – just as Argentina will retain happy memories from their win at Murrayfield in 2009. “I also believe that Argentina – as they have demonstrated already in the last two months – are a better team than we faced on their soil last year.” Scotland team to play Argentina Rugby World Cup Pool B Wellington Regional Stadium in Sunday 25 September, kick-off 8.30pm NZ time 15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) 107 caps 22 tries, 90 conversions, 167 penalties, 3 drop-goals, 800 points14 Max Evans (Castres) 22 caps, 3 tries, 15 points 13 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) 27 caps, 1 try, 5 points12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps, 3 tries, 15 points11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets) 58 caps, 8 tries, 40 points 10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps, 2 conversions, 1 penalty, 1 drop-goal, 10 points9 Rory Lawson (Gloucester) Captain 29 caps 1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh) 58 caps2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) 51 caps, 2 tries, 10 points3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh) 7 caps4 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 14 caps5 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester) 33 caps, 1 try, 5 points6 Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) 21 caps, 1 try, 5 points7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) 30 caps, 2 tries, 10 points8 Kelly Brown (Saracens) Vice-captain 48 caps, 4 tries, 20 points Substitutes16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors) 36 caps, 1 try, 5 points17 Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks) 22 caps, 1 try, 5 points18 Nathan Hines (Clermont Auvergne) 75 caps, 2 tries, 10 points 19 Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks) 13 caps20 Mike Blair (Edinburgh) 73 caps, 7 tries, 35 points21 Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) 64 caps, 4 tries, 15 conversions,52 penalties, 15 drop-goals, 251 points22 Simon Danielli (Ulster) 31 caps, 8 tries, 40 points