Tuipulotu guides Scotland past Argentina with record score / Photo: DIEGO LIMA - AFP
Tuipulotu guides Scotland past Argentina with record score
Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu scored a try and set-up another as they hammered Argentina with a record score of 47-38 in the Nations Championship in Cordoba on Saturday.
Centre Tuipulotu's contributions came in a dominant first half before a clinical 30 minutes in the second period for the visitors, who claimed their best ever result in the south American country, having notched up 44 points in 2018.
Los Pumas managed to claim a bonus point thanks to a late Lucio Cinti effort in a lacklustre performance.
Next Saturday, Argentina host Wales and Scotland head to Rugby World Cup holders South Africa.
Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi handed lock Matias Alemanno his 100th cap in his hometown winger Rodrigo Isgro one of just six players to keep their starting spot from last November's away loss to England.
Scotland boss Gregor Townsend gave Tom Jordan the No 10 jersey with the influential Finn Russell injured.
Another Cordoba native in No 8 Joaquin Oviedo opened the scoring from a rolling maul but by the 25-minute mark Scotland led at a chilly, sparsely-crowded Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes and never let it up from there.
The clinical visitors had a 12-7 advantage as Tuipulotu and Pierre Schoeman on his 50th appearance went over with Fergus Burke, on as a temporary head injury replacement for Jordan with the conversion.
By the interval Townsend's tourists were 19-10 up as Tuipulotu turned the provider for midfield partner Rory Hutchinson and Jordan nailed the extras after Pumas fly-half Tomas Albornoz had kicked a penalty.
Scotland maintained control by the hour mark with locks Fraser Brown and Scott Cummings going over after Isgro had scored just after the break.
Contepomi's side's hopes of a comeback were boosted with 13 minutes left as replacement prop Tomas Rapetti sneaked over and Scotland winger Jamie Dobie was yellow carded in the build-up to the try.
The visitors however re-established their comfortable advantage two minutes later as replacement hooker Gregor Hiddleston made the most of a rolling maul on his debut and Burke added the conversion to make it 40-24.
Los Pumas' back-rower Joaquin Moro was sin-binned for his ill-discipline before Hiddleston's effort and Scotland full-back Kyle Rowe made sure of victory despite late consolation efforts from Cinti and Augstin Moyano.
P.MacNair--NG
