🔗 Share this article

This marks a curious aspect of the English team's November clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a future star.

Star Display in Hard-Fought Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's least convincing outing of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a exquisite long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his quick offload to the center for England's final score was just as eye-catching, capping off a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at multiple midfield roles for his club this season.

Quick Ascent and Future Prospects

Only a little over a week since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh is that the coach 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 summer tour to make his debut. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and centre.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were injured.

Team Context and Broader Significance

Where might England have been against Argentina without him? Certainly they rode their luck and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their best player. England experienced an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Perhaps the coach ought to have freshened things up.

Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast the side for their failure to inject much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep of November matches for the initial occasion since recent years. The year ends with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for the coach than they did previously.

Player Pool and Future Planning

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the team he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few existing players of the roster who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.

This is an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it was clear that certain players were not going to play in his plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, preventing the difficult start that affected the team in the past.

Player rankings sound like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of England's bench. As the coach plots a course 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.