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This marks a interesting feature of the English team's November perfect record that no new players earned their first cap during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's most challenging outing of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, 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.

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 appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England regroup to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when others were injured.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

How would England have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation 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 understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few current members of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the difficult start that affected the squad in the past.

Depth charts seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the strength of England's substitutes. While Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.