🔗 Share this article

This marks a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. However, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the arrival of a future star.

Standout Display in Tight Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the first try before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that every manager desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

It is just a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. But, the best compliment that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to think again. He was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match 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 England reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

Where might the team have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. However, this result completes a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the squad 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.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the quality of the bench. As the coach plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of this performance.