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This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November perfect record that no new players made their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while earning his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Standout Display in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing performance of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

He has 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 both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Future Prospects

It is just a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach may have to think again. He was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England reconvene to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Implications

Where might the team have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. However, this result completes a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick 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. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of the past, but managers swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of England's substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.