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It is a curious feature of England's November perfect record that no new players earned their first cap throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's display against Argentina while securing his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Star Performance in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as eye-catching, capping off a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to reconsider. He was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to start their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when others were injured.

Team Context and Wider Implications

How would the team have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. However, this result completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. We are 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 Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the team 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.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the difficult start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but coaches rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of England's bench. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.