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This marks a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Win

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's third try was just as impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. He 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. Fitness issues to other players created the opportunity for him to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to start their championship quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Wider Significance

How would the team have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England experienced an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their inability to bring much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. But, this result completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to the young star, luck, and the strength of the bench. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.