Munro plays despite not being put to a final training test

first Test against Argentina here in the Ferrocarrill Oeste stadium, but

it was only a precaution that the Glasgow High/Kelvinside lock was a

spectator in practice at Centro Naval. No risk was taken that a slight

groin strain might recur.

Munro was anxious to join in, but the medical team insisted that he

should stand back when the ground was still firm despite overnight

showers, the first rain the Scots had seen since their arrival here more

than two weeks ago.

One change, however, has been enforced in the squad. Scott Nichol, the

Selkirk centre who was to be a stand-by replacement, had a recurrence of

a back injury that has bothered him on and off since the Hong Kong

sevens in March, and Chris Dalgleish, Gala's 20-year-old wing, was

promoted to the bench.

Because of the overnight rain, coach Douglas Morgan cancelled the plan

to train on the Test pitch. The football ground's authorities had

insisted that the Scots could wear only trainers, but it would have been

too much of a risk for the tourists to have complied with that on the

slightly damp surface. Instead, they returned to their usual training

ground within sight of the River Plate stadium, venue of football's 1978

World Cup final.

The tourists, with all their work done, can now only wait to find out

if the new face of Scottish rugby can smile or not. Revamping the XV,

after all, can be measured by more than the introduction of Craig Joiner

and Kevin McKenzie. The XV have changed much in eight months, as no

fewer than eight of the current team have been capped for the first time

since November.

Yet the mood is confident. After a draw in the opening game here and

then defeat in Mendoza a week ago, the Scots proved what they are made

of by beating Cordoba 40-14 on Tuesday.

Most especially, the mainly second-string pack showed in Cordoba how

well the Scots are equipped in the lineout. Only Carl Hogg has come

through from the tourists' pack in that game, but those around him that

night have set the tone. It is up to seven capped forwards and McKenzie

to carry it on.

Lineouts here have been a problem area for the Scots. Even in Cordoba,

they encountered refereeing that made it even more difficult to win the

opposition throw-in, a point that Andy Reed, Scotland's new captain,

reiterated in looking ahead to his first international in charge.

However, an Australian, Wayne Erickson, will referee the Test. The

Scots met him on their South Pacific journey last year, and the

expectation is that he will allow the lineouts to be contested as they

are at home. The Scots need that for the benefit of a back division with

talent and pace.

Despite modern rugby's emphasis on the touchline, Argentina stand by

power scrummaging as the base of their national game.

At least that would seem to be the case from the evidence of the video

recording of Argentina's 28-22 victory over the United States in their

World Cup qualifying match last weekend in Long Beach, California.

That was the first of four internationals the Pumas will have played

on successive weekends. Their two Tests against Scotland will be

followed by the return match against the Eagles in the World Cup.

Morgan acknowledged that it was difficult to gauge how the Pumas would

react to such a programme.

Qualifying for the World Cup, he suggested, would be uppermost in the

minds if Scotland were in that position, but it was a remark that in no

way detracted from his demand that his tourists take the game to the

Pumas. Victory for the Scots, after all, would be their own launch-pad

for the World Cup next year.

Argentina -- S E Meson; M J Teran, D Cuesta Silva, M H Loffreda

(captain), G M Jorge; G del Castillo, N Fernandez Miranda; M Corral, J J

Angelillo, P Noriega, P L Sporleder, G A Llanes, R Martin, P

Camerlinckx, C Viel Temperley.

Scotland -- M Dods (Gala); C A Joiner (Melrose), I C Jardine

(Stirling), A G Shiel (Melrose), K M Logan (Stirling); G P J Townsend

(Gala), B W Redpath (Melrose); A V Sharp (Bristol), K D McKenzie

(Stirling), A P Burnell (London Scottish), D S Munro (GHK), A I Reed

(Bath), captain, P Walton (Northampton), C D Hogg (Melrose), I R Smith

(Gloucester). Replacements -- C S Dalgleish (Gala), D W Hodge

(Watsonians), D W Patterson (Edinburgh Academicals), S J Reid

(Boroughmuir), A G J Watt (GHK), S J Brotherstone (Melrose).

Referee -- W Erickson (Australia).