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It is a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the arrival of a future star.

Standout Display in Tight Win

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. However, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Team Context and Wider Significance

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their failure to inject much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet 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 veterans were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the torrid start that plagued the squad in the past.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of England's substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.