Ojomoh Provides Champagne Moment for England to Signify Arrival on Big Stage.
This marks a curious aspect of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players made their first cap throughout the series of matches, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a future star.
Star Display in Tight Win
He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, concluding a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the young player.
He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their midfield player. 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 Future Opportunities
It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to reconsider. He was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when England reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.
- Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
- Timely Impact: Delivered when others were unavailable.
Squad Background and Broader Implications
Where might England have fared against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their standout performer. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps Borthwick should have freshened things up.
A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for almost throwing away a game they were controlling. However, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a defeat. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.
Player Pool and Future Planning
The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the team 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 on track for the upcoming event.
That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the past.
Player rankings seem like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the strength of the substitutes. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.