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This marks a curious feature of the English team's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's most challenging performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. But, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick may have to think again. He was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when England reconvene to begin their championship campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Significance

How would England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England showed an natural decline in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, however. One might be inclined to lambast England for their inability to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. However, this outcome marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the team he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many current members of the roster 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 was clear that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the difficult start that affected the squad in the past.

Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of the past, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the quality of England's substitutes. As the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.