Buenos Aires

DOUGLAS Morgan, Scotland's coach, has left his Argentinian hosts in no

doubt as to what his intentions are on the tour here over the next

month. ''My philosophy is 15-man rugby,'' he told a meeting of the local

rugby press yesterday.

''Under the laws as they are today,'' he added, ''it is not always

easy to provide that kind of rugby. But that none the less that is my

aim.''

Scotland's six-match tour in Argentina, beginning with a match against

Buenos Aires on Wednesday, is an essential to Scotland's build-up to the

Rugby World Cup in South Africa next year, and Morgan revealed that the

preparations will take another step forward soon after the tourists

arrive home next month. While thoughts on the tour are still fresh in

the minds, the Scottish selectors will define a squad of 45 to work

towards the World Cup.

Morgan and Fred McLeod, the Scots' tour manager, also discovered that

their hosts -- at least the press -- were under a misapprehension about

the strength of the squad who have to take on two Test matches in their

six games. The Argentinians seemed slighted that a dozen capped Scots

had been omitted. Coach and manager, questioned aggressively, had to

explain that the squad was as strong as possible when so many were

unavailable.

Morgan added that the Scottish Rugby Union could have sent a team to a

less testing rugby country than Argentina. Scottish rugby, he indicated,

needed a severe test in the year before the World Cup.

''We could have taken the opportunity to go elsewhere in the world

where the rugby might have been easier,'' the coach remarked. ''But

would we have learned anything?'' The point was taken.

Andy Reed, the Bath lock who is captaining the Scots, was drawn into

the debate to refute a suggestion that the tourists were particularly

light in the tight five, when only Paul Burnell of those forwards has a

double-figure count of caps.

Reed accepted that the five Scottish tight forwards on the Lions' tour

last year, himself among them, had not played to their best in New

Zealand. Instead, he cited Scotland's scrummage performances over the

past two season.

''I would be interested,'' he challenged the questioner, ''if you

could point out one game where we were outscrummaged.'' No reply.

Reed also had to answer an insensitive question on how he felt as ''an

Englishman'' captaining Scotland, but he left his hosts in no doubt of

his loyalty and allegiance even though he had been born in Cornwall.

Yesterday, too, the Scots had their first sample of Argentina's

renowned hospitality. After training they had lunch cruising on the

Plate estuary, and in the evening they were guests of the Argentinian

Rugby Union at a reception in the Moet et Chandon rooms. A day of sea

and champagne plus, of course, the hard work of training.

* WALES have the chance to book their passage to next year's World Cup

Finals in South Africa when they meet Spain in Madrid today.

They have made five changes from the side which walloped Portugal

102-11 on Wednesday, with Rupert Moon reclaiming the scrum-half jersey

from Robert Jones, and a fit-again Tony Clement at full back in place of

arch-rival Mike Rayer.

Up front, Phil Davies returns to lead the pack as out go vice-captain

Gareth Llewellyn and Tony Copsey, while Davies is joined in the second

row by Swansea's Paul Arnold.

In the back row Mark Perego returns to open-side, Emyr Lewis reverting

to blind-side.

* ENGLAND captain Will Carling is calling on England's senior forwards

to use their heads -- metaphorically -- in today's second tour match

against Natal.

Carling, who will lead out England against a province which has 10 men

in the Springbok Test squad, is determined to put right the basic

mistakes which led to downfall against Orange Free State earlier in the

week.

He has had frequent talks with his players since Wednesday afternoon,

and said: ''Though I am captain I would not expect to be barking at the

forwards to get things sorted out.

''I would be disappointed if experienced players like Brian Moore,

Jason Leonard, Nigel Redman, and Dean Richards could not get a technical

problem solved -- but not as disappointed as they would be.''

* THE second match of Ireland's Australian tour at the Warath stadium

in Sydney tomorrow pits them against a New South Wales team with 10

internationalists, including David Campese and the front row of Tony

Daly, Phil Kearns, and Mark Hartill.

Ireland, also with 10 internationalists, include five inexperienced

players.