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It is a interesting aspect of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Standout Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind 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 both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

It is just a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. But, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad reconvene to start their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

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

Squad Context and Wider Significance

Where might the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their inability to bring much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. We are midway in 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 understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not on track for the upcoming event.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, luck, and the strength of England's substitutes. While Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.