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This marks a interesting feature of England's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap during the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Standout Display in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the key player in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for the team's third try was equally eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the young player.

He has the kind of triple threat that every manager would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Quick Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be paid 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 wait until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Implications

Where might the team have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England experienced an natural decline in energy following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their inability to bring much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. But, this result completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are very few existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the difficult start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of England's bench. As Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.