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It is a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that no new players made their international debut throughout the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while securing his second appearance felt like the arrival of a future star.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his quick offload to the center for England's third try was equally eye-catching, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of triple threat that every manager would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to think again. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad regroup to start their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Implications

How would the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. But, this result marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the core group of the squad he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the difficult beginning that affected the squad in the past.

Depth charts sound like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of England's bench. While Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.