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It is a interesting aspect of the English team's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants earned their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Star Display in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was just as eye-catching, concluding a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were injured.

Team Context and Wider Implications

How would the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe the coach ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, however. It is tempting to lambast England for their failure to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. But, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is 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

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the team he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the team in the past.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, fortune, and the strength of the substitutes. As the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.