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This marks a interesting feature of the English team's November perfect record that no new players earned their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was equally eye-catching, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to start their championship campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

Where might the team have fared against their opponents without him? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their inability to bring much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the core group of the team he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many current members of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the strength of England's bench. While the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.