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It is a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their first cap throughout the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second cap felt like the breakthrough of a major talent.

Star Display in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for the team's third try was just as impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to think again. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to start 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: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Context and Broader Significance

How would the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to bring much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a game they were controlling. However, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the team he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the past.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, luck, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.