It’s job done for England and on to the Six Nations after they recorded their 11th win in a row against Argentina and ensured an Autumn Nations Series clean sweep.
England were made to work hard for their fourth victory of a thoroughly successful November, but despite Argentina coming close to snatching it at the death, Steve Borthwick can be proud of his side’s resilience.
Looking to build on their landmark victory over New Zealand, a much-changed England raced into an early lead against the Pumas with Max Ojomoh starring.
Injuries had forced Borthwick’s hand, with Ojomoh handed just his second senior appearance in an England shirt and a first at Twickenham.
The 25-year-old worked with England attack coach Lee Blackett during Bath’s title-winning season last year, and the pair’s relationship added another dimension.
Ojomoh’s seamless adaptation to a rampant England attack here owed plenty to Blackett, with the centre breaking clear to open the scoring at the same end where he had done so for his hometown club during June’s Premiership final.
This was a near-faultless performance from Ojomoh, mobbed by his team-mates after a deft cross-field kick to assist Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with his quick hands complementing England’s attack, who have looked to play with more pace and width under Blackett.
For all the talk around England’s kicking game, they average more in-play kicks than any other Tier One team. Borthwick’s side are also producing a number of eye-catching line breaks as they blend efficiency with electricity.
England’s effectiveness has been branded boring by some, but this is also a team capable of entertaining.
Ojomoh’s daring line break tore through the heart of Argentina and gave England the perfect start, while Feyi-Waboso’s electric dart down the right flank encapsulated the energy around Borthwick’s side right now.
Argentina rallied after the break and could have stolen the win, but England showed their nous to dig in and hold on against unrelenting pressure.
It was heart-in-mouth stuff in the end for England, but as they have shown across these autumn internationals, their resolve is strong, their character unquestionable and their quality, with Fin Baxter impressing off the bench, throughout the squad giving them a solidity not seen for some time.
What a difference a year can make. Successive defeats by New Zealand, Australia and South Africa 12 months ago left England and Borthwick with plenty of soul-searching to do.
Now, though, they look altogether more confident and assured of themselves after suffering something of an identity crisis after the 2023 World Cup.
The Six Nations is a different kettle of fish, but England have built a platform with an impressive run of results against a varied and competitive set of opponents.
