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The Scottish rugby team have added new dimensions and components to their playing style in recent times, but the persistent issue is their vulnerability.

The flaw was highlighted by an Argentina side who appeared to be dead and buried long before their epic comeback.

The home stadium was stunned at the end, struggling to comprehend how this Scotland team managed to take a commanding advantage against a Argentina side looking way below their best and then produce the most spectacular of meltdowns to lose by eight points.

The defeat by the New Zealand one week before was hard to take. This felt more devastating. Significantly more troubling.

Performance Review

The Pumas looked a weaker version of the side that defeated Wales in unprecedented fashion in Cardiff, and Townsend's team were in total command for the first 50 minutes.

They constructed three impressive scores, two from Ewan Ashman and one from the back-row.

At 21-0 up, they were stationed on the Pumas line, looking to go for the killer blow. But, as has been the case repeatedly, rather than executing the finishing move, Scotland extended a hand to help their opponents off the floor.

Critical Moment

The playmaker's risky long floating pass was intercepted, the visitors broke downfield, the full-back was penalized for illegally preventing the attack, and Julian Montoya went over to revitalize into what had seemed a dying contest.

The great teams, the leading nations in the world, handle these circumstances. They remove the pressure the game. Scotland are not designed like that. They are missing the rugby IQ, the game understanding, the mindset to squeeze the life out of a match that should be securely in their possession.

Previous Patterns

It echoed of Cardiff and the recent championship, when Scotland built a substantial advantage and looked for all the world like they were on course for a decisive win until the faintest indication of resistance caused alarm throughout the whole squad.

In that instance, they were able to recover from the brink of defeat to win by a point, but the visitors were in no frame of mind to permit recovery here.

After McKenzie climbed off the bench to break Scottish hearts against the New Zealand last week, another substitute joined the action in the concluding period to steal the show.

Santiago Carreras was like a man possessed, appearing in every offensive move, identifying spaces in a tiring Scottish defensive line and inspiring his team to raise their level.

Performance Decline

The captain's try was the opening of four in an astonishing 18-minute spell in which the Scots completely capitulated. The fly-half's penalty momentarily stopped the tide to make it 24-12, but the momentum was at Argentina's backs and Scotland looked helpless to wrestle back the initiative.

Recurring Concerns Once More for Scotland

After Piccardo went over to put the seal on a extraordinary turnaround for the Argentina, the Scottish fans made for the gates. They had seen enough on this particular day, and numerous have seen enough of this team having trouble to kick on under Gregor Townsend.

The head coach cut a disconsolate figure at the final whistle. He acknowledged it was simply not satisfactory, that his team failed to handle the momentum swing at a commanding lead, and they need to be improved.

The concern is it is the same problems that are appearing repeatedly. There is no consolation to be taken from competing effectively for chunks of games, from producing multiple opportunities and not capitalizing, from running leading nations tightly but not winning.

Gregor Townsend disputes the idea that his team does not have the mentality required to win the biggest games, but the indications is not in his favor.

Two significant World Cup group matches against Ireland, in 2019 and 2023, remain clear in the mind. When the pressure was at its maximum, when the big players and squads are anticipated to deliver under pressure, Scotland crumbled.

They have delivered significant, occasional victories in the Six Nations, but in the eight years on Townsend's watch, when the time in the season has come to progress and seriously contend, they have foundered.

Townsend had his tenure prolonged to guide the team through the next global tournament in Australia, with the decision-makers at the national union certain that this team is on the verge of something successful.

The team has been on the brink for an extended period, and those fans who loudly booed their team from the home ground will feel entitled to consider: might the advancement actually occur? And would someone else do more effectively?