Max Ojomoh Provides Champagne Highlight for English Side to Mark Emergence on Big Stage.
It is a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut during the series of matches, a scenario not seen in 25 years. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while earning his second appearance felt like the arrival of a major talent.
Standout Display in Tight Victory
Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his quick offload to the center 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 versatile skillset 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 his club this season.
Rapid Ascent and Future Prospects
It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. But, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was first called up to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players paved the way for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their championship campaign in the coming months.
- Multiple Abilities: Can play fly-half and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
- Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.
Squad Background and Broader Implications
Where might England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.
A balanced view is required, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.
Squad Depth and Future Planning
Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the squad 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 certain players were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the torrid beginning that affected the team in the previous cycle.
Depth charts seem like they are for seafarers of the past, but managers swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, luck, and the strength of the bench. While the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.