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It is a curious feature of England's November perfect record that no new players made their international debut throughout the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against the Argentine side while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Tight Win

He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to the center for England's third try was equally eye-catching, concluding a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Rapid Ascent and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. However, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when England regroup to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were injured.

Squad Context and Wider Significance

Where might England have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? 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 significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since recent years. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he understands the vast majority of the team he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult beginning that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to the young star, luck, and the quality of the substitutes. While Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.