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It is a curious aspect of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut during the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against the Argentine side while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a major talent.

Star Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's third try was equally impressive, 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 midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that the coach may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps the coach ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their inability to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the difficult start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the quality of the bench. As Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of this performance.