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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's autumn clean sweep that no new players made their international debut during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the arrival of a major talent.

Star Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. But, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for him to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to start their championship quest in the new year.

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

Squad Context and Wider Significance

How would 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 showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, however. It is tempting to criticize the side for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this result completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. We are midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many current members of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the torrid beginning that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to the young star, fortune, and the strength of England's bench. As 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 this performance.