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It is a interesting aspect of England's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second cap felt like the breakthrough of a future star.

Star Display in Tight Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing performance of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was equally impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

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 appeared at number ten and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Quick Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was first called up to an national team 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 other players created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Significance

Where might England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.

Some perspective is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their inability to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.

Player Pool and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the team he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many current members of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have taken action earlier, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of the past, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the strength of the substitutes. As the coach 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 lack of quality of this performance.