Max Ojomoh Delivers Champagne Moment for England to Signify Emergence on Big Stage.
This marks a curious feature of the English team's November clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, 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 cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a future star.
Standout Display in Tight Win
Ojomoh was the star turn in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the first try before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's third try was just as impressive, concluding a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.
Ojomoh possesses the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for Bath this season.
Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Opportunities
Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to Ojomoh is that Borthwick may have to think again. Ojomoh was first called up to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the overseas trip to make his debut. Injuries to other players paved the way for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England reconvene to start their Six Nations campaign in the new year.
- Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
- Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.
Team Context and Wider Significance
How would the team have been against their opponents without him? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team experienced an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over New Zealand. Maybe Borthwick ought to have made more changes.
Some perspective is required, though. One might be inclined to criticize England for their failure to bring much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a game they were controlling. But, this outcome marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016. 2025 ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.
Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy
Borthwick appears that, two years out from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. 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.
This is an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, preventing the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Depth charts seem like they are for seafarers of the past, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, luck, and the strength of the bench. While Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.