In a year of relentless disappointment, this represented a fresh nadir for Gregor Townsend and his under-performing Scotland side.
Having already lost every big match they have faced this year – Ireland, England, France, Fiji and New Zealand – they saved their worst for last as they capitulated in spectacular fashion here, blowing a 21-0 lead as Argentina ran in five tries to win a match in which they had looked dead and buried.
If shipping a late try to the All Blacks was one thing, then this was a surrender on a whole other scale. Such was the pathetic nature of the second-half performance that even the Murrayfield crowd – usually polite and supportive to a fault regardless of how desperate things are looking – was moved to boo the team come the final whistle.
This was a collective failure but there is no doubt the momentum swing came from a man usually hailed as a hero. Goodness knows what Finn Russell was thinking as he launched a loopy, hopeful pass wide for Kyle Steyn 15 minutes into the second half but it was easily intercepted allowing Argentina to counter at pace.
The Pumas didn’t score immediately from that opening – Darcy Graham did well to get back and stop the breakaway – but it indirectly led to a Blair Kinghorn yellow card.
Argentina landed their first try not long afterwards and from there on in, a Russell penalty aside, it was one-way traffic as the Pumas, their confidence bolstered, simply ran right through and around a Scotland side who completely lost their nerve and shape.
Darcy Graham looks to the heavens after Scotland’s 33-24 defeat by Argentina at Murrayfield
Finn Russell buries his face in his shirt after a game in which Scotland threw away a 21-0 lead
It took until six minutes from time before they moved in front but it was no surprise given the flow of the game. A fifth try from Justo Piccardo ensured there would be no way back for Scotland whose mental frailty in the key moments was again exposed in the most brutal of fashions.
It all unfolded in front of Scottish Rugby’s performance director David Nucifora whose decision to award Townsend a new contract until the 2027 World Cup now looks increasingly premature.
This second-half disintegration also had an effect on the draw for those finals. Needing to win by 16 points to have any chance of ascending to the group of top seeds, Scotland had it in their grasp only to blow that opportunity too.
They didn’t have it all their own way in the first hour but, with Argentina slow off the mark and wasteful, Townsend’s men looked well set to land a much-needed victory against the team ranked sixth in the world. Instead, it proved to be another false dawn.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Scotland performance the previous weekend had been their failure to make the most of New Zealand’s three yellow cards.
They at least showed here they had learned their lesson on that front. Juan Cruz Mallia was the man sent to the sin-bin on this occasion, throwing out a hand to try to grab Darcy Graham’s back-door pass to Jamie Dobie, the scrum-half a late replacement for the ill Ben White.
Referee Andrew Brace decided that was a deliberate knock-on and produced the yellow card. Scotland messed up their first opportunity with the extra man – Kinghorn’s pass was too low for Steyn – but did finally get on the board just before Mallia was due to reappear.
Russell disguised a pass to Jack Dempsey and the big No 8 burst through a gap before lumbering 30 yards unopposed to the try line.
Argentina had chosen not to start Santiago Carreras, one of the most lethal dead-ball kickers in the world, and would initially come to regret it.
Twice Scotland were pinged for offences in kickable range and each time Mallia’s efforts lacked the oomph to get over the bar. This was a first half to forget for the full-back.
That sloppiness would prove costly when Scotland scored their second try of the opening period. Graham, making his 50th appearance, got them within range with a brilliant catch in the air.
The forwards then carried hard before Dobie fizzed a pass to Ewan Ashman who did well to barrel past a few tacklers and then twist his body to get the ball grounded.
That left Scotland with a promising 14-0 half-time advantage but in truth it had been a patchy display, not helped by Gregor Brown going off for an early head injury assessment and not returning.
Rory Darge avoided a card for catching Santiago Grondona with his shoulder early in the second half and Geronimo Prisciantelli then failed to find touch with the penalty, giving Scotland easy access back into their 22.
Ashman and Pierre Schoeman both carried hard before the hooker had another go, trampling all over Prisciantelli on his way to the line.
Efrain Elias and Thomas Gallo celebrate Argentina’s thrilling comeback against Scotland
At that point a home victory looked all but assured but Russell’s needless pass would prove the starting point for a Pumas comeback. Argentina sprung on the counter and only a brilliant Graham tackle prevented a certain score for Mateo Carreras.
Kinghorn, though, was yellow carded for multiple team offences and it was the break Argentina needed. A few phases later and Julian Montoya got the ball down despite desperate attempts from Fagerson and Dempsey to get underneath it.
Scotland were wobbling as Argentina, bolstered by their second-half replacements, sensed the tide was turning. Rodrigo Isgro rounded off a strong phase of forwards play by dashing for the line for their second, with Russell’s penalty only temporarily interrupting their momentum.
A third try from Pedro Rubiolo took them to within five points with 10 minutes still to play and at this point it was only going to end one way.
Pablo Matera looked to have knocked on as he crossed the line but the TMO had a look and awarded the try, with Carreras’ conversion putting the visitors in front for the first time.
Piccardo’s fifth try then made sure there would be no way back for Scotland as Murrayfield erupted in boos come the end of another dismal showing.