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It is a curious feature of the English team's November perfect record that there were no debutants made their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing outing of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that all coaches desire 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 campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

How would the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to inject much urgency into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. However, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the team he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many current members 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 was clear that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the difficult beginning that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and the coach can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.