England made it four wins from four over their November internationals, when they added a 27-23 victory over Argentina at Allianz Stadium on Sunday to victories against Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. It is Steve Borthwick’s team enjoyed third defeat of Los Pumas this year after they won twice in South America in July, and means they completed an unbeaten November for the first time since 2016.
Ojomoh (9'), Feyi-Waboso (24'), Slade (65')
Tries
Piccardo (44'), Isgro (79')
Ford (9', 25', 66')
Conversions
Albornoz (45'), Carreras (79')
Ford (71')
Penalties
Albornoz (34', 50'), Carreras (59')
Ford (8')
Drop Goals
England made it four wins from four over their November internationals, when they added a 27-23 victory over Argentina at Allianz Stadium on Sunday to victories against Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. It is Steve Borthwick’s team enjoyed third defeat of Los Pumas this year after they won twice in South America in July, and means they completed an unbeaten November for the first time since 2016.
Victory also means that they are on a run of 11 consecutive wins that began against France at Twickenham during the Guinness Men’s Six Nations.
Max Ojomoh, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, and Henry Slade scored England’s tries, and George Ford added 12 points with three conversions, a penalty, and his increasingly regular drop goal.
Argentina crossed for scores from Justo Piccardo and Rodrigo Isgro, with the latter’s setting up a nervy finish. Tomas Albornoz and Santiago Carreras knocked over 13 points between them, including a remarkable drop goal conversion from Carreras following Isgro’s late try.
Here’s what caught ATR’s eye…
Take Your Pick
At the start of November, one of Borthwick’s main jobs was to build depth among his squad with prop, second row, and centres the main areas that needed flowering.
It is fair to say that he has done that. Joe Heyes has shown himself to be a genuine rival at tighthead to Will Stuart, with Fin Baxter and Asher Opoku-Fordjou offering the same to Ellis Genge at loosehead.
In the second row Alex Coles has established himself as a contender to pack down alongside Maro Itoje, rather than Ollie Chessum. Then against Argentina, Charlie Ewels continued his return from the cold, and it was his intervention that disrupted Argentina’s late lineout from which England ended the match.
The growing depth is most marked in the centre. Ollie Lawrence and Fraser Dingwall appeared set as Borthwick’s first choice partnership, but then injury hit both. It meant Ojomoh and Slade had the chance to show their credentials, and boy did they, especially Ojomoh who was Player of the Match on the day he won his second cap.
Both scored tries, Slade’s from a deft flick from his centre partner, while Ojomoh’s was a poachers effort that allowed him to show his pace. The Bath man completed the trifecta with a beauty of a crosskick that couldn’t have been better placed for Feyi-Waboso to run on to and score. With the ante raised, don’t be surprised to see Dingwall throw in a crosskick when he returns to league action.
The best thing is both the Dingwall-Lawrence axis, and Ojomoh-Slade duo are equally balanced, it is just with the former pair the power comes from the man in the 13 jersey, and from the 12 in the latter. By design or luck, Borthwick has two square pegs and two round pegs. He now he has the luxury of knowing he doesn’t have to put them into a wrong shaped hole.
Albornoz Makes Three
If we’re talking depth, let’s look at Argentina’s flyhalf options. After we eulogised Geronimo Prisciantelli’s performances this autumn, Felipe Contepomi (not a bad judge of a flyhalf) opted to bring back Tomas Albornoz as his starter after the Benetton man had missed the entire Rugby Championship and first two November fixtures.
Just to emphasise Contepomi’s options, Albornoz had to go off with for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) after 10 minutes that meant Santiago Carreras came on. That’s quite the flex, with the Bath man capable of excellence at flyhalf or fullback.
Thankfully Albornoz returned, and after getting 40 minutes under his belt, the pair swapped after 50 minutes, with Carreras repeating his trick from their comeback against Scotland of firing a comeback.
It is a while until Los Pumas are back in action, so there will be plenty of time for Contepomi to improve his number 10s even more for when they do return.
Magic Maro
Is it time to praise Maro Itoje? Let’s been honest, the Ireland defeat at the start of the year aside, 2025 has been his annus mirabilis. Since he took over as captain before this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations, he has been inspired.
Itoje was involved in eight of the 11 wins, the other three he missed because he was away captaining the British and Irish Lions to their first test series win in 12 years.
Over the four November matches, the 31-year-old started three and came off the bench against Fiji, a nine-minute cameo that garnered him a try. He carried 14 times over the series, made 59 tackles, and averaged one turnover per match. The one area that he didn’t feature massively in was the lineout, where he won nine in the series. Maybe that is a sign that Borthwick is more trusting of Alex Coles, Ben Earl, and Henry Pollock.
Itoje also has built a good rapport with referees. His is a gentle approach, where he strolls over to have a quiet word to clarify the situation with the referee, and he will always be present when a decision is made.
Furthermore, he has a good bond with players young and old, and it was pleasing to see him sitting and chatting with Opoku-Fordjou, a player 10 years his junior, after he took his leave against Los Pumas.
Itoje won’t forget 2025 in a hurry, not least because he somehow managed to squeeze in two weddings among the rugby. Not bad for someone who Eddie Jones described as “too inward looking,” to make a good captain.
Dogging It Out
Sometimes you have opposition who barely throw a punch, and you beat easily, sometimes it is a determined underdog who takes time to wear down, sometimes it is a major name who inspires you to a memorable performance, sometimes it a strong team that refuses to lie down, and a match in which you have to grimly hang on to your early lead.
Whatever match it is, England have shown that they know how to do what matters most and that is to win them.
Yes, there is the big green beast out there, but for now Borthwick has got his team on the right path and made them a side that no team will relish playing. If there is anything else we could ask of him and his team right now, it isn’t apparently obvious.
