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This marks a curious feature of England's November perfect record that no new players earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while securing his second cap felt like the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the key player in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at number ten and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

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

Team Context and Broader Implications

Where might the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a game they were controlling. However, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier 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 understands the core group of the team he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are very few existing players of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult start that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of the past, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to the young star, luck, and the strength of the bench. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.