🔗 Share this article

It is a interesting feature of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against the Argentine side while earning his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Display in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to the center for the team's final score was just as eye-catching, capping off a fine first outing at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that all coaches would want 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 season.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach may have to think again. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to wait until the final match of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad regroup to start their championship quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when others were injured.

Team Background and Wider Significance

How would England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick ought to have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, though. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to bring much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. 2025 ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the roster who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who struggled when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the torrid beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, fortune, and the quality of the bench. While Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.