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It is a curious aspect of the English team's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his popped pass to the center for England's final score was just as impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of triple threat that every manager would want from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Significance

How would England have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is needed, however. One might be inclined to lambast the side for their failure to bring much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. However, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will take to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking late defeat. That they were not is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.