Chris Paterson has won so many games for Scotland in his 108-cap career that it’s unnecessary to count them.
His ledger is in profit, for life.
The two most significant games of the last decade, against Fiji in 2003 and Italy in 2007, at the last two World Cups, were won primarily due to Paterson.
On the face of it, time and the law of averages caught up with him in Wellington, as he ended an uncertain performance with the missed tackle that allowed Lucas Amorisino to score the try that almost certainly means Scotland will fail to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
On the face of it perhaps, but not in reality.
Scotland had ample opportunity to put this game away even before Amorisino’s try and Dan Parks’ late missed drop goal.
They should have had it won before the contentious replacements that some will point to as crucial.
Andy Robinson’s selection blunder was not there or even (as I had suspected) by starting Ruaridh Jackson and Richie Gray, both of whom did him proud.
It was instead two crucial decisions by skipper Rory Lawson when Scotland were in total charge.
Lawson went blindside himself with the Puma defence spreadeagled after Max Evans’ neat chip and chase, ignoring a massive overlap to his left.
He then opted to supply Paterson for an unlikely drop goal attempt with a line of attackers queued up to his right.
This is not to single out Lawson (although I would have preferred Blair or Cusiter in there) but to pinpoint Scotland’s recurring malaise when glaring opportunities present themselves, they find a way to butcher them.
Argentina had one outright chance to score and took it. Until Scotland prove as ruthless, we can only expect disappointments.