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It is a interesting feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut during the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was just as eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. But, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad regroup to start their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

How would England have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize the side for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the squad he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many current members of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. He seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the past.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team 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 strength of the substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.