🔗 Share this article

This marks a curious feature of the English team's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut during the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Standout Performance in Tight Win

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's most challenging performance of the autumn. He finished off the opening touchdown before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the sort of triple threat that every manager desire from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that the coach might need to reconsider. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a third cap when England reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the new year.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Wider Implications

How would England have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England showed an inevitable drop-off in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their inability to bring much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing 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 starting with a loss. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the core group of the team he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

This is an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of England's substitutes. While the coach plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.