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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's autumn perfect record that no new players earned their international debut throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's final score was equally impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at number ten and at both centre positions for his club this season.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

Only eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to begin their championship campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Team Background and Wider Implications

Where might England have been against their opponents without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to bring much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did previously.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the team he will take to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of the substitutes. As the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.