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This marks a interesting aspect of the English team's November perfect record that there were no debutants made their first cap during the series of matches, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the first try before creating 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 England's final score was equally impressive, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Quick Rise and Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to think again. He was first called up to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Significance

How would the team have fared against their opponents without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, though. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this outcome marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. The year ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. We are midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid start that affected the team in the past.

Depth charts seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the strength of the bench. As 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 lack of quality of this performance.