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It is a interesting aspect of the English team's autumn perfect record that no new players made their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against Argentina while securing his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Display in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as impressive, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of triple threat that all coaches would want from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.

Quick Ascent and Future Opportunities

Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to think again. He was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. 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 reconvene to start their championship campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Broader Implications

How would the team have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. But, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, preventing the difficult start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of the past, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of England's bench. While the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.