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It is a curious feature of England's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's third try was equally impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of triple threat that all coaches desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Quick Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to begin their championship quest in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Team Background and Wider Significance

How would England have fared against their opponents without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their failure to bring much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. But, this result marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the team he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the difficult start that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts sound like they belong to seafarers 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. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.