Cheika gets off to winning start

■By BEN JAYCOCK

Argentina …………..26

Scotland …………….18

Michael Cheika was victorious in his first game in charge of Argentina last night in San Salvador as the Los Pumas played their first home game in front of their passionate fans in 1,058 days.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend favoured youth over experience in his touring squad leaving out the likes of Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Chris Harris and they were on the back foot in the first half.

Juan Martin Gonzalez’s jackal won the first penalty of the game and Argentina’s record points scorer Nicolas Sanchez slotted the first points of the match.

Scotland equalised with a Blair Kinghorn penalty before the Pumas went back in front with another Sanchez three-pointer.

Kinghorn drew the sides level with his second penalty in what was a stop start opening quarter, but Argentina scored the opening try just before the half hour mark.

Jeronimo de la Fuente touched down on the outside after quick silky hands in the build up by the Pumas attack. The home side’s purple patch continued as they went further in front before half-time via substitute Santiago Carreras going over in the corner after a wellexecuted counterattack.

Scotland needed a response after half-time and Mark Bennett provided that as he hit a fantastic line to go over.

The Scots then scored their second try in four minutes as Rory Hutchinson burrowed over to level the scores.

However, Argentina won the restart and went back in front seconds after as man-of-the-match scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou grounded in the corner.

Despite struggling from the tee after Sanchez was taken off with an Achilles injury, Emiliano Boffelli slotted a penalty with ten minutes to play to make it a two-score game and the Argentines held on for a victorious homecoming.