Why it would be no shock if Argentina stun Scotland

Autumn international: Scotland v Argentina

Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh Date: Sunday, 16 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

There was a time when the word that summed up Argentina’s rugby team was passion. Now, Los Pumas’ bite is every bit as scary as its roar.

On the back of a record win against Wales, Felipe Contepomi’s side are in Edinburgh next to face a bruised Scotland after their painful near-miss against the All Blacks.

The more casual rugby fans among the 67,000 who will pack Murrayfield on Sunday might be expecting their team to bounce back convincingly against visitors who have not won at the home of Scottish rugby since 2009.

The Pumas have lost on all four trips since, including conceding a record 52 points on their last visit in 2022.

A quick scan of the 23-man squad tells you Argentina are a serious team. Eighteen of them play in the top division in England or France.

Inside centre Santiago Chocobares has been a vital cog in the Toulouse winning machine, scoring in last season’s Top 14 final, and has a serious argument to be considered the best in the world in his position.

Santiago Carreras, the leading points scorer in this year’s Rugby Championship, is one of the best in the world off the tee, never mind the electric ability in open field he has shown with Gloucester, and now Bath, in the past five years.

Carreras is not even in the starting team for Murrayfield.

Among the forwards, the Pumas’ most-capped player ever, the bruising and gnarled Pablo Matera, is also on the bench, while captain Julian Montoya, a Premiership winner with Leicester Tigers, leads from hooker for his 116th cap.

Argentina have always had world class players. Head coach Contepomi was in the team that stunned the sport by finishing third at the 2007 World Cup.

First-choice half-backs Gonzalo Garcia and Tomas Albornoz, among several others, will not play a part in this month’s tour and yet they were not missed in Cardiff.

Fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli made just his second start and scored two tries, put in a try-saving tap tackle, and walked away with the man-of-the-match award.

Saracens centre Lucio Cinti is injured, while Justo Piccardo – a standout in the win over the British and Irish Lions in June – drops to the bench, but Argentina can welcome back Matias Moroni and his 92 caps to play 13 against Scotland.

A focus on the player pathway, joining the Rugby Championship in 2012, and the introduction of Los Jaguares into Super Rugby all helped build depth in Argentina.

And, since the Super Rugby franchise folded amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the national players have scattered the globe to build more experience, while a new continent-wide competition at home has helped younger players kick on.

Argentina finished third at the most recent Junior World Championships, have won a World Sevens Series and Olympic medal, and now seriously compete in the Rugby Championship.

Los Pumas have beaten New Zealand four times since 2020, including on home soil for the first time this year, and last year managed wins over the All Blacks, South Africa and Australia in the same campaign.

More consistent success raises expectations of Argentina, something they have not always handled well.

In the summer they lost a home series 2-0 to England, despite Steve Borthwick’s side missing 14 players who were touring with the British and Irish Lions.

In the Rugby Championship, they started with a defeat and a win at home against New Zealand and went to Australia with a big chance to cement their status as title contenders.

Despite leading by 14 points at half-time, they ended up losing 28-24 after conceding a last-gasp try.

They avenged that loss the next week and ran the Springboks close in their final game after a 67-30 defeat in Durban, but finished bottom of the table.

Argentina went to Cardiff as favourites last week and put up 52 points, but Scotland are unlikely to be as charitable as Wales and the Pumas do not usually tour well in the northern hemisphere either.

The last time they won more than one game in November Tests was 2014.

However, with Wales dispatched and Scotland and England to come, this team has the chance for a historic clean sweep.

The odds might be against them, but three wins on British soil is not farfetched for this Argentina side.

Argentina team to face Scotland: Cruz Mallia, Isgro, Moroni, Chocobares, M Carreras, Prisciantelli, Benitez Cruz; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Delgado, Petti, Rubiolo, S Grondona, Martin Gonzalez, Oviedo.