Argentina stuns Scotland with epic comeback from 21-0 down at Murrayfield

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Argentina stunned Scotland 33-24 from 21-0 down at Murrayfield in the greatest comeback win in Pumas history on Sunday.

The Pumas were trailing 21-0 as late as the 57th minute but scored five tries in a remarkable 22-minute spell to snatch their first win at Murrayfield in 16 years.

The tide turned when Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi ran out of patience with his team, whose mistakes were making it easier for Scotland. His breaking point was just after halftime.

Flanker Santiago Grondona was hit head-high by opposite Rory Darge but the Scot wasn’t yellow-carded, only penalized. Pumas flyhalf Gerónimo Prisciantelli failed to find touch, Scotland countered and Ewan Ashman ran over Prisciantelli to score his second try of the match. Finn Russell’s extras made it 21-0.

Contepomi immediately sent on five replacements; new props, new scrumhalf, his reliable goalkicker Santiago Carreras, and Pablo Matera, the most capped Puma.

They transformed the Pumas. The scrum became a rock, Carreras attacked the line and Matera was a wrecking ball.

Former sevens star Rodrigo Isgró intercepted Russell and Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn was yellow-carded for cynically preventing a try. Pumas captain Julian Montoya called for a scrum and moments later he scored under a heap of bodies: 21-7.

Three minutes and eight phases later, Isgró dotted down: 21-12.

“I wasn’t angry at halftime,” Contepomi said. “We spoke before the game that this was going to go for 80 minutes. It was about holding tough on the real pressure moments. It was about finding our step in the game and then just going for it.

“When we scored and Scotland had that yellow card we started playing and suddenly the momentum shifted and the guys accelerated.”

‘Fell asleep at the wheel’

Russell, flawless off the tee, kicked a penalty for 24-12 in the 64th and Scotland was still marginally favored.

But Scotland was soon reeling again from charging Pumas; lock Pedro Rubiolo scored between the posts in the 70th, Matera’s try tied the score in the 75th and Carreras’ conversion put them ahead for the first time. Replacement back Justo Piccardo iced one of Argentina’s greatest days in the 79th when he stepped Darcy Graham and carried Kinghorn over the line in their fifth try.

Just to rub it in, Carreras converted from the touchline.

In their last match, Scotland won 52-29 in 2022 at Murrayfield.

“We fell asleep at the wheel,” Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu told broadcaster TNT Sports. “It’s not good enough. They got a roll on and we couldn’t stop their momentum. They started getting offloads away and marching forward and we lost our discipline.”

It’s the second straight heartbreaking result for Scotland. A week ago, New Zealand rallied from 17-17 through its reserves to win 25-17 as Scotland chased a historic first win over the All Blacks.

“A lot more disappointing this week than last week,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend told the BBC.

“We didn’t handle that momentum change when we went 21-0 up and had an opportunity to go 28-0 up. It flipped on that moment and it ended up as a penalty and a yellow card under our posts.

“Carreras off the bench made a big difference for them and we were on the back foot. But it’s still disappointing not to see it through as we were still ahead after that yellow-card period.”

Scotland started brilliantly. After Pumas fullback Juan Cruz Mallia was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, a Pumas lineout overthrow led to the opening try; Russell set up No. 8 Jack Dempsey.

Then a Russell bomb caught by Graham finished with Ashman barging over for 14-0.

Argentina had the ball for the rest of the first half but kept blowing chances. Mallia’s two penalty kicks sailed well wide, two attacking lineouts were wasted, and two 10-plus phase attacks came to nothing. Contepomi took his frustration out on the wall behind him.

The coach finally went to his bench for answers in the 46th and just in time.

Contepomi praised his bench but also the starters. “It’s like pounding the rock,” he said. “It’s not just that you have one extraordinary movement and things happen. From minute one, we went hard, hard, hard. We couldn’t break it in the first half but it broke maybe in the last minute.”

With two November wins in Europe for the first time since 2014, the Pumas play England next weekend. They have never won three times in November.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby