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This marks a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the first try before creating the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's final score was equally impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Quick Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

Only a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to think again. He was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

How would the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, however. It is tempting to lambast the side for their failure to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few current members of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit 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 strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the past.

Depth charts sound like they are for sailors of the past, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of England's bench. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.