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This marks a curious feature of England's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants earned their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a future star.

Star Performance in Tight Win

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's most challenging outing of the autumn. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was equally eye-catching, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that all coaches desire from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that the coach may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to start their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Implications

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to bring much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes 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 previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he understands the vast majority of the team he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the difficult start that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.