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It is a curious feature of the English team's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants made their first cap during the series of matches, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at both centre positions for Bath this season.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. But, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach may have to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a third cap when the squad reconvene to start their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Squad Background and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, however. It is tempting to lambast the side for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. However, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. We are halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation 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 knows the vast majority of the team he will take to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid beginning that affected the squad in the past.

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, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of England's substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.