Ojomoh Provides Champagne Highlight for England to Signify Arrival on Big Stage.
This marks a curious feature of England's November clean sweep that no new players made their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a major talent.
Standout Display in Hard-Fought Win
He proved to be the star turn in what was the team's most challenging outing of the autumn. He finished off the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, capping off a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.
He has the kind of triple threat that every manager would want 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.
Quick Rise and Future Opportunities
Only eight days since Steve Borthwick might have felt he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. However, the best compliment that can be paid to the young star is that Borthwick may have to reconsider. He was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when England regroup to begin their Six Nations quest in the coming months.
- Multiple Abilities: Excels at fly-half and centre.
- Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
- Important Performance: Delivered when teammates were injured.
Squad Context and Broader Implications
Where might the team have been against Argentina without Ojomoh? 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 significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach ought to have made more changes.
A balanced view is needed, however. It is tempting to lambast the side for their inability to bring much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. However, this result marks a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since recent years. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after beginning with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for the coach than they did at this stage.
Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy
Borthwick appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. But there are not many current members of the squad who are not on track for the upcoming event.
That represents an advantage because it posed an issue for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that certain players were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the difficult start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of the past, but managers rely on them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking late defeat. That they were not owes plenty to the young star, luck, and the strength of England's substitutes. While the coach plots a course to the Six Nations, he has wind in England's sails after 11 wins in a row, and therefore we can forgive the paucity of this performance.