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It is a interesting feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players made their international debut throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's most challenging outing of the autumn. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's third try was just as eye-catching, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind 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 multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Rapid Ascent and Future Opportunities

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick may have to think again. He was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize the side for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will take to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is 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 feature in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the torrid start that affected 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 satisfied 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 the young star, luck, and the strength of the bench. While Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.