On the whole, coaches hate surprises. They like to feel in control and know that they have catered for every possible set of events. So it must be something of a personal nightmare for Frank Hadden, the Scotland coach, that not only are his team embarking on their most important end-of-season tour ever, but they are heading into the complete unknown with so much hanging on the outcome in Argentina.

Usually these trips are a bit of a jolly with nothing at stake. Not this one. It has nothing to do with development, planning for the future or experimentation. It is all about trying to get those wins that could lift Scotland into the top eight in the world and give them a chance of being seeded to reach the quarter-finals in the next World Cup.

Until recently, world rankings have been there mainly for interest, a way of measuring form. All that changed in February when the International Rugby Board (IRB) announced that instead of performance in the previous World Cup determining seedings for the next one, the only thing that would matter would be the teams’ rankings in December this year. Any team outside the top eight will have to beat at least one side ranked above them to reach the knockout stage.

The result has been a scramble for ranking points and suddenly these season-ending friendlies have become deadly earnest contests with long-term implications. Scotland stand tenth, but if they beat Argentina and other results go to form, they can move into that magic eighth spot, overtaking Ireland and Fiji.

The problem for Hadden and his new assistants, Sean Lineen and Andy Robinson, is that they are heading off on something of a mystery tour. Robinson played in Argentina in 1990 but Lineen had retired by 1994 when Scotland made their only previous visit to the country and lost both matches [by 16-15 and 19-17], and nobody, not even Santiago Phelan, the Argentina coach, can have any real idea of how the new-look Pumas will perform.

Only 11 of the 30-man squad that took his country to third in last year’s World Cup are available, and most of those were not frontline players. Half the squad are playing amateur rugby in Argentina, there is a good contingent of players from the Guinness Premiership in England – though not all are first choice for their clubs – but also a handful from the French second division and Italy.

All of which means that there is virtually no continuity for Argentina after their World Cup heroics, and even against the full-strength side most of the Scotland players came away from the quarter-final between the teams at the Stade de France feeling that they could have won if only they had backed themselves to open up the game earlier. While Scotland would usually be seen as unlikely winners in a land where even the All Blacks struggle, they are in with a chance despite facing a team they have beaten once in seven tests.

Not that there has been a great deal of continuity for the Scots either. Compared to the side that played in the World Cup, injury and form mean that eight of the Scottish starting XV three from the bench will not be in Argentina this month. Three of the absentees are playing in France, both the Lamont brothers are injured as are Jim Hamilton, Jason White and Scott Lawson, while Craig Smith, Gavin Kerr and Rob Dewey have been left out. The only home-based player to be forced out is Moray Low, the uncapped prop who damaged an ankle in Glasgow’s final match.

Success depends on whether they can overcome their dreadful away form - since 2000 they have won only six away games - two against Italy; one each against Wales, Romania, Samoa and the US. If they can do that, they should win at least one of the two internationals, and have a shout at that vital World Cup seeding.

Schedule in Argentina

Saturday June 7: First international, Gigante de Arroyito Stadium, Rosario, 4.10pm (8.10pm UK time).

Saturday June 14: Second international, Velez Sarsfield Stadium, Buenos Aires, 4.10pm (8.10pm UK time).

Both games will be live on BBC Radio Scotland.