🔗 Share this article

It is a curious aspect of the English team's autumn perfect record that there were no debutants earned their first cap during the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.

Star Display in Tight Victory

Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the first try before setting up the other two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for the team's third try was just as impressive, concluding a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.

He has the sort of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at fly-half and at both centre positions for Bath this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities

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 Borthwick might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for him to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and centre.
• Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Timely Impact: Delivered when teammates were unavailable.

Squad Background and Broader Implications

How would the team have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have freshened things up.

A balanced view is required, though. It is tempting to criticize the side for their inability to inject much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.

Player Pool and Future Planning

Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few current members 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 found it difficult when it was clear that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the torrid start that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the bench. As Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of this performance.