Max Ojomoh Delivers Sparkling Highlight for England to Signify Arrival on Grand Platform.
It is a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a major talent.
Star Display in Tight Victory
Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing performance of the autumn. He finished off the opening touchdown before creating the remaining two. The setup 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 eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.
He has the kind of triple threat that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.
Rapid Rise and Upcoming Prospects
Only a little over a week since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an national team previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when England regroup to begin their championship quest in the new year.
- Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
- Important Performance: Delivered when others were injured.
Squad Context and Broader Significance
Where might England have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their best player. England showed an natural decline in energy following a significant victory over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach ought to have made more changes.
A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to bring much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were dominating. But, this result marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.
Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy
The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the team he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.
That represents an benefit because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action earlier, preventing the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.
Player rankings seem like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches rely on them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.