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It is a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their first cap throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while securing his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's third try was equally impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset that every manager desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. But, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that the coach may have to reconsider. He was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England reconvene to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Squad Context and Wider Significance

How would England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many existing players of the roster who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that affected the team in the past.

Depth charts sound like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the strength of England's substitutes. As the coach plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.