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It is a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against the Argentine side while earning his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing performance of the autumn. He scored the first try before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach 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 might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an national team previously, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, however. It is tempting to lambast the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many current members of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. While the coach plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.