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This marks a interesting feature of the English team's November clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while securing his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's most challenging outing of the November series. He scored the first try before creating the remaining 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 England's final score was just as eye-catching, capping off a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of triple threat that every manager would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. But, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. He was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to teammates paved the way for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their inability to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. But, this outcome completes a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are very few current members of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit 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 taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of England's bench. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.