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It is a curious aspect of the English team's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a future star.

Standout Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for the team's third try was just as impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Rapid Rise and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Context and Broader Significance

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England showed an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their failure to bring much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the team he will take to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many current members of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the past.

Depth charts seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and the coach 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, luck, and the strength of the substitutes. As the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.