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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap during the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second cap felt like the breakthrough of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's third try was equally eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that every manager desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at both centre positions for Bath this season.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. But, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Broader Implications

How would the team have fared against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England showed an natural decline in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe the coach ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. However, this outcome completes a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. The team is midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of the past, but managers swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking late defeat. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of the bench. As Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.