SCOTLAND coach Vern Cotter has admitted he missed Greig Laidlaw’s match-winning kick against Argentina on Saturday - because he had to answer a call of nature.

The skipper’s 83rd-minute penalty gave the home team a 19-16 win over the Pumas at Murrayfield, and a crowd of just over 50,000 rose to their feet to claim it. But Cotter had been seen leaving the coaches’ box shortly before the kick was taken, and later confessed he could not wait any longer at the end of a nerve-shredding contest.

“I had to go to the toilet,” the coach explained. “I was on the mic” - so he was still in touch with what has happening - “but I had to go. It had been a long 80 minutes.”

It had indeed, but Scotland got there in the end. A week earlier they had tried and failed to beat the Australians in the last play of the game, going down to a 23-22 defeat. But on Saturday they got it right, even if it did take them four attempts to land the winning points.

Glasgow Warriors stand-off Finn Russell failed with two drop-goal attempts late in the game - one was wide and the other was charged down - then Laidlaw sent a penalty crashing off the same post that had denied him against the Wallabies. But with time running out, Argentine substitute Juan Manuel Leguizamon gave away a penalty by rushing into a no-arms tackle, and Laidlaw was the calmest man in the stadium as he scored the winning points.

“There was a quiet determination within the group to do better than last week, and I was so pleased for them because they got their rewards at the end,” Cotter added. “It was a real, tough arm wrestle but they never gave up.

“I thought the boys showed tremendous belief. Finn has had two charged down, Greig has missed that penalty, but they just kept believing.”

Scotland led 6-3 at half-time thanks to two Laidlaw penalties compared to one from Nicolas Sanchez, but the Pumas stand-off equalised after the break then laid on a try for Matias Orlando. The conversion took the score to 13-6 for the visitors, but former Warrior Sean Maitland soon hit back with a try and Laidlaw levelled. Then Sanchez put his team back in front with another penalty before the Scottish captain replied to set up that dramatic finale.

“The boys showed composure when they had to,” Cotter added. “We finished the game the stronger and we deserved to win.

“I know Argentina, and in every November tour there is one game they really target and go for. This was it.

“It’s usually the French, but they went for us. They tried to nail us, so I’m really happy the guys managed to get out of that.”

The win takes Scotland above Argentina in the official World Rugby rankings and into seventh place. They now have to make sure they stay inside that crucial top eight to be in one of the top two groups of seeds when the draw for the 2019 Rugby World Cup is made next year.

Georgia, who Scotland play on Saturday at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock, are 12th after a 20-16 home win over Samoa. “Make no mistake, next week will be a really tough match,” Cotter said. “We watched the Samoa match, so we’re under no illusions as to what to expect.”