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This marks a interesting feature of England's November perfect record that there were no debutants earned their first cap during the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

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. His assist for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that every manager would want 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

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. But, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. He was first called up to an national team previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Broader Implications

How would England have fared against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team showed an natural decline in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize the side for their failure to bring much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. However, this outcome marks a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. 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 the coach than they did previously.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the team he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the difficult start that affected the team in the past.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, luck, and the quality of the bench. While the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.