Dan Parks kicked the Pumas to their first defeat in Tucuman as he landed six penalties and two drop goals to notch all Scotland’s points in a 24-16 victory at Estadio Monumental Jose Fierro.
The former Glasgow Warrior gave the Scots a huge psychological boost ahead of their clash with Argentina in Pool B of next year’s Rugby World Cup as he kept his side in touch in a first-half in which the home side scored two tries.
It was 13-12 to the Pumas at the break, but Parks kept punishing their indiscretions in the second half to push his side into the lead and then on to a famous victory. It was another personal triumph for the 32-yearold Australian-born marksman.
Last season he became the first player to reach 1,000 points in the Magners League and his touchline penalty at Croke Park in the last round of the 2010 RBS 6 Nations earned the Scots a 23-20 triumph over the Irish as they denied the home side a potential Triple Crown.
First half tries from centre Gonzalo Tiesi and flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon, as well as a penalty from the boot of skipper and fly-half Felipe Contepomi, gave the Pumas the early initiative, but a Parks drop goal on the stroke of half-time cut the gap to a single point.
The second half saw Contepomi’s men fall foul of English referee Dave Pearson at the break down, and the Scottish back row trip of Kelly Brown, John Barclay and Johnnie Beattie lead the way up front for a famous victory.
Where Glasgow’s ‘killer Bs’ led, the rest of the side followed and the ever reliable Parks boot pushed Scotland into a 21-13 lead, before Contepomi landed his side’s only score of the second half to cut the gap to five points.
One final Parks penalty made the game safe and now the Scots will go into the second Test in Mar del Plata next weekend hopeful of clinching a 2-0 series triumph.
