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This marks a curious feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut during the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against the Argentine side while earning his second appearance felt like the arrival of a major talent.

Star Display in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before setting up the other two. His assist for his teammate 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 just as eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Rapid Ascent and Future Prospects

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an national team four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Squad Context and Wider Significance

Where might England have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to bring much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the team he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents 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 strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, 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 the bench. As the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.