🔗 Share this article

It is a interesting aspect of the English team's autumn perfect record that no new players earned their international debut during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, Max Ojomoh's display against the Argentine side while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's most challenging outing of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to the center for the team's third try was equally impressive, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

Ojomoh possesses the kind of versatile skillset 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 Future Opportunities

It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had discovered his centre partnership for the long term. However, the highest praise that can be paid to the young star is that the coach might need to reconsider. He was first called up to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the last game of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when England reconvene to begin their Six Nations campaign in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and centre.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Timely Impact: Stepped up when teammates were injured.

Team Background and Broader Implications

Where might England have been against their opponents without him? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.

A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast England for their inability to inject much intensity into this contest, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. However, this outcome marks a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. 2025 concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Future Planning

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he knows the vast majority of the team he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many existing players of the squad who are not in contention for the 2027 tournament.

This is an benefit because it posed an issue for his predecessor, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to feature in his plans. He seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, preventing the difficult start that affected the team in the previous cycle.

Player rankings seem like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but managers swear by them and the coach can be happy with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching late defeat. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. As the coach plots a course to the championship, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and therefore we can overlook the paucity of this performance.