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This marks a curious feature of England's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants made their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. 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 star turn in what was the team's most challenging performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Team Background and Broader Implications

Where might England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, though. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to bring much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. However, this outcome completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that affected the squad in the past.

Depth charts sound like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of England's bench. While the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.