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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November perfect record that no new players earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the arrival of a future star.

Standout Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's final score was equally impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Quick Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

Only eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an national team previously, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

How would the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this outcome completes a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are very few existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the past.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the strength of the bench. As the coach plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.