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It is a curious feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players made their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's third try was equally impressive, concluding a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at both centre positions for his club this season.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players paved the way for him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Team Background and Broader Implications

How would England have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the team he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are very few existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the torrid 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 the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of England's bench. While Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of this performance.