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This marks a curious feature of the English team's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Display in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He scored the first try before creating the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to the center for England's third try was just as eye-catching, concluding a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the sort of triple threat that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Quick Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to think again. He was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Team Context and Wider Implications

Where might the team have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, though. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will take to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many current members of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts sound like they are for sailors of the past, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the bench. While Borthwick plans the route 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 the recent display.