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It is 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 showing against the Argentine side while earning his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's most challenging outing of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as eye-catching, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

He has the kind of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

Only a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against their opponents without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their failure to bring much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. But, this result completes a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, 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 benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the strength of England's bench. As Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.