Ojomoh Provides Sparkling Highlight for English Side to Mark Emergence on Big Stage.
It is a curious aspect of the English team's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants made their international debut throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against the Argentine side while earning his second cap felt like the arrival of a future star.
Standout Display in Tight Win
Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for England's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.
Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat that every manager desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.
Quick Rise and Upcoming Prospects
Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that the coach may have to reconsider. He was first called up to an national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when England regroup to begin their championship quest in the coming months.
- Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
- Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were injured.
Squad Context and Broader Implications
How would England have been against Argentina without him? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.
A balanced view is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their inability to inject much intensity into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did at this stage.
Squad Depth and Future Planning
The manager appears that, two years out from the global tournament, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. 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.
That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to play in his plans. He seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Depth charts sound like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the quality of England's substitutes. As the coach plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of the recent display.