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It is a interesting feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap throughout the series of matches, 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 Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to reconsider. He was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

How would England have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, however. It is tempting to criticize the side for their inability to bring much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the team he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the quality of the bench. While the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.