🔗 Share this article

It is a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that no new players earned their first cap throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in 25 years. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against the Argentine side while securing his second cap seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.

Star Performance in Tight Victory

He proved to be the key player in what was England's most challenging performance of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. The setup for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a delightful long pass was the champagne moment of the first half. Likewise, his popped pass to the center for England's final score was just as eye-catching, capping off a fine first outing at Twickenham for the young player.

He has the sort of versatile skillset that every manager would want from their inside-centre. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has featured at fly-half and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Ascent and Upcoming Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the future. However, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to reconsider. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad four years ago, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to earn his first cap. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a further appearance when the squad reconvene to begin their championship quest in the coming months.

• Multiple Abilities: Excels at number ten and midfield.
• Key Contributions: Scored one try and assisted two.
• Important Performance: Delivered when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Implications

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

A balanced view is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast the side for their inability to bring much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. But, this result completes a perfect record of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and things look much more positive for Borthwick than they did previously.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, two years out from the World Cup, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to the host nation. Of course, there will be the odd bolter. But there are very few existing players of the roster who are not in contention for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle earlier, avoiding the difficult start that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Depth charts seem like they belong to sailors of the past, but managers swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. The fact they avoided that is largely due to Ojomoh, luck, and the quality of the substitutes. While Borthwick plans the route to the championship, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can forgive the paucity of the recent display.