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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November perfect record that no new players earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while earning his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade 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 would want from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, 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 midfield duo for the long term. But, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad reconvene to start their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were injured.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

Where might England have fared against their opponents without him? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to inject much urgency into this contest, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. But, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage 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. 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 the past, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England 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 England's bench. As the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.