🔗 Share this article

This marks a curious feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players made their first cap throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing outing of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for England's third try was equally impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches desire from their midfield player. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. However, the best compliment that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an national team four years ago, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to teammates paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when the squad reconvene to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Team Context and Wider Implications

How would England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. The team showed an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, however. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. However, this result completes a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. We are halfway through the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy

The manager appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many existing players of the roster who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.

Depth charts sound like they belong to seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of England's substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the lack of quality of this performance.