Max Ojomoh Provides Sparkling Highlight for England to Mark Arrival on Grand Platform.
This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut throughout the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while earning his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a future star.
Star Display in Tight Win
Ojomoh was the star turn in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's final score was just as impressive, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.
Ojomoh possesses the sort of triple threat that all coaches would want from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.
Rapid Rise and Future Opportunities
It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a further appearance when England regroup to start their Six Nations quest in the coming months.
- Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
- Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
- Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.
Squad Context and Wider Implications
Where might England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have freshened things up.
Some perspective is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to bring much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.
Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy
The manager appears that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the vast majority of the team he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.
That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Depth charts sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of the bench. While the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.