Scotland 24-33 Argentina: ‘Vulnerable’ hosts ‘fell asleep at the wheel’

Scotland have won just four of 10 Test matches this year and are left with an all-too-familiar feeling at full-time.

Asked whether criticism from the stands after a defeat was justified, Tuipulotu said: “I think yes.

“Gregor talked about back-to-back home sellouts in the dressing room, not every stadium does that.

“We watched some rugby yesterday and there were some empty seats in the stadium, but not in our stadium and there is a bit of a guilt trip there because people are paying good money to come and watch us.”

It was the nature of Scotland’s collapse that was so worrying.

From a dominant position to burrowing in almost at will, with no way to stem the tide.

During Argentina’s attack, Scotland conceded a succession of penalties as the players became tired and Santiago Carreras had the game by the scruff of the neck.

His replacements, Tom Jordan and George Horne, remained on the Scotland bench as they were subjected to a wave of blue-white attack.

“Decisions and discipline will be the two areas we look at most closely,” Townsend said.

“We need to be better in our discipline. If you give a team a momentum penalty after a penalty, it makes their job easier.

“Obviously, when we went up 21-0 and had the opportunity to go up 28-0, we couldn’t handle that momentum change. That’s when everything turned around.

“Thank goodness for Argentina, they put us under pressure and deserved to win in the last quarter.”

Scotland came close to New Zealand last weekend, falling 17-0 to draw level, but both captain and manager agreed that result was a bigger disappointment.

“I don’t think I could be as disappointed as I was last week, but this is even more disappointing,” Tuipulotu said.

“I told the kids, ‘We’re going to have to take a really hard look at ourselves.’

“The next few days are going to hurt and that’s going to start for me, I’m the captain of the team and I take responsibility too.”