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This marks a curious feature of the English team's November clean sweep that no new players made their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of triple threat that every manager would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Quick Rise and Upcoming Prospects

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that the coach might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to begin their championship quest in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Significance

How would England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their inability to bring much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year concludes with 11 straight wins 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 Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the torrid beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the substitutes. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.