Russia lost to a spirited Argentina A side in a gritty encounter in Moscow on Saturday.

Despite matching the touring Jaguars side in most departments, Russia struggled to counter some of the enterprising maneuvers of their opposition, going down 32-6 after losing the previous week 40-20.

Russia’s physical game was on display from the outset, exhibiting solid defense and passionate scrummaging. Some missed penalty kicks made the score-line look worse than it should have been, but some masterful ball-handling from the Argentine side provided some entertaining tries, which sealed Russia’s fate regardless.

Russian coach Steve Diamond told RT that some valuable lessons were learned, particularly regarding some ill-discipline at the breakdown. He plans to take his side to New Zealand in January to give them some experience of life in a culture that lives and breathes rugby. It is also the venue for the next Rugby World Cup later in the year, so the trip will be something of a training run for long-haul flights as well.