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It is a interesting aspect of England's November clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, though. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. But, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are very few existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they are for seafarers of the past, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, fortune, and the strength of the bench. While the coach plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.