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After running riot in a 52-28 win over Wales last Sunday, Argentina will now travel to Murrayfield as a team in red-hot form.
Whilst Wales are no great shakes at the moment, any team who wins by such a thumping scoreline in Cardiff is clearly one of serious pedigree.
Over the past year, Argentina have beaten South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the Rugby Championship.
They reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup and have clearly built on that. They currently sit two places above Scotland in the world rankings.
They are a completely different outfit to the one which last played at Murrayfield in the autumn internationals three years ago.
On that occasion, Scotland bounced back from the disappointment of a narrow defeat to the All Blacks by hammering Argentina 52-29.
Argentina looked impressive in their thumping of Wales in Cardiff and arrive north in fine form
Gregor Townsend must build his players back up after their All Blacks disappointment
Scotland came back from a poor first half to give New Zealand a scare but ultimately fell short
In strangely similar circumstances, what Gregor Townsend would give for a repeat of that outcome this weekend.
This is a massive game for Townsend, one which will make or break the autumn campaign as a whole.
If Scotland lose, the noise around his contractual situation only grows louder. The scrutiny intensifies heading into the Six Nations early next year.
The feeling that he he has reached the end of the road with this team will become increasingly difficult to refute.
A defeat would drive a bus through the notion that Scotland are making progress under the current head coach.
This is a game he dare not lose against the Pumas. Given the context, this is Scotland’s biggest match since they faced Ireland in Paris in the 2023 World Cup.
Townsend will have big question marks hanging over him if Scotland lose another Autumn Test
The All Blacks were there for the taking last week. In a chaotic second half, Scotland had them rattled and on the ropes.
Scotland also played almost half of the match — 30 minutes in total — with a numerical advantage given the three yellow cards to New Zealand.
The stars had aligned for them, and yet they still couldn’t get the job done. Perhaps only in the fullness of time will we truly appreciate just what a missed opportunity it was.
But Townsend needs to find a way of digging out a result against a free-flowing Argentina side. Defeat would only raise serious questions about his own future.
