🔗 Share this article

It is a interesting aspect of the English team's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's most challenging performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's third try was just as eye-catching, capping off a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, 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 him to begin here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England regroup to begin their Six Nations campaign in the new year.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Team Background and Broader Implications

Where might the team have fared against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England showed an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast the side for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. However, this outcome completes a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. We are halfway through the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the bench. As the coach plans the route to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.