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It is a interesting feature of England's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants earned their international debut during the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Display in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's final score was equally impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the sort of triple threat that every manager desire from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. However, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick may have to think again. He 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 teammates paved the way for him to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to start their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

Where might the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an natural decline in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick 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 vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the strength of the bench. While Borthwick plots a course 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 paucity of this performance.