Ojomoh Delivers Sparkling Highlight for English Side to Mark Arrival on Big Stage.
It is a interesting feature of the English team's November clean sweep that there were no debutants made their first cap during the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a future star.
Star Display in Tight Win
Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's most challenging performance of the November series. He finished off the first try before setting up the other two. His assist for his teammate via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the opening period. Similarly, his quick offload to Henry Slade for England's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.
He has the kind of triple threat that all coaches desire from their inside-centre. He can run, kick and pass, and he has featured at fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.
Rapid Rise and Future Prospects
Only eight days since Steve Borthwick could have believed he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. 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 national team four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to other players created the opportunity for him to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when England reconvene to start their championship quest in the coming months.
- Versatile Skillset: Excels at number ten and midfield.
- Key Contributions: Notched a touchdown and set up two more.
- Important Performance: Stepped up when others were injured.
Squad Context and Wider Implications
How would England have been against their opponents without him? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe the coach should have made more changes.
A balanced view is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their inability to inject much urgency into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were controlling. But, this result marks a perfect record of November matches for the initial occasion since 2016. The year concludes with eleven consecutive victories after starting with a defeat. We are midway in the World Cup cycle and things look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did previously.
Player Pool and Long-Term Strategy
The manager appears that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will take to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are very few existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.
That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to feature in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult beginning that affected the squad in the past.
Player rankings seem like they belong to seafarers of the past, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be happy with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to the young star, fortune, and the quality of England's substitutes. While Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can forgive the lack of quality of the recent display.