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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November perfect record that there were no debutants earned their international debut during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Display in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's final score was just as eye-catching, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses 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 his club this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Future Opportunities

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the best compliment that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick may have to think again. He was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a further appearance when England regroup to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were injured.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

How would England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. However, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the team in the past.

Depth charts sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of England's substitutes. While the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.