The rain teemed down throughout in Wellington and try scoring chances were rare indeed. Scotland looked well set though as the game went into the final ten minutes. Jackson and Parks dropped goals while Felipe Contepomi missed a couple of key penalties.
However, Amorosino's superbly taken try as he beat a man on the outside before cutting inside, converted by Contepomi, snatched the lead on 73 minutes.
There was still a chance for Scotland to nick the win at the death but Dan Parks was off target with an attempted drop goal.
After the game, Gloucester scrum half Rory Lawson, who skippered the side, rued the missed opportunity:
"We know each other pretty well and we've waited for this for a long time. Ultimately it was always going to be small margins and Amorosino took his try exceptionally well.
"It was always going to be about controlling territory and possession and they maybe just won that contest.
"We played in the right areas and obviously it was not a night to throw the ball around. We played with tempo and a good bit of control but ultimately we didn't do enough.
"We've got a six-day turnaround so we'll go and have a look at the game but we've got to put in a big performance in Auckland to give us a chance of progressing."
The permutations for Scotland's qualification hopes are complicated and are as follows:
- If Scotland lose to England without a losing bonus point they are out of the World Cup
- If Scotland lose to England with a losing bonus point and Argentina lose against Georgia, Scotland go through
- If Scotland draw with England, they need Argentina to lose against Georgia
- If Scotland and Argentina both win without a bonus point, it will come down to points difference between the three teams, though England are way out in front
- If Scotland and Argentina win with bonus points, and England do not earn a losing bonus point, England are out
