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This marks a curious aspect of England's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut throughout the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a major talent.

Star Display in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's final score was equally eye-catching, concluding a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

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. 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 England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Implications

Where might the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. However, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. We are halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the team he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many current members of the squad 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 play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the past.

Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, luck, and the strength of England's substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.