🔗 Share this article

This marks a curious feature of England's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut throughout the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, 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 Performance in Hard-Fought Win

He proved to be the key player in what was England's most challenging outing of the November series. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as eye-catching, concluding a excellent debut performance at Twickenham for the young player.

Ojomoh possesses 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 both centre positions for Bath this season.

Quick Rise and Upcoming Prospects

It is just eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. But, the best compliment that can be paid to Ojomoh is that Borthwick might need to think again. He was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to teammates created the opportunity for him to start here, and he surely will be in contention for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their Six Nations quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Context and Broader Implications

How would the team have fared against Argentina without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they had some fortune and perhaps it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team showed an natural decline in energy following a major win over New Zealand. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.

Some perspective is needed, though. One might be inclined to criticize the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. However, this result completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. The team is midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager appears that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the team he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. Yet there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

This is an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult start that plagued the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be nursing their wounds after a heartbreaking late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the bench. While Borthwick plots a course to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.