Max Ojomoh Delivers Sparkling Highlight for England to Signify Arrival on Grand Platform.
It is a curious feature of England's autumn perfect record that no new players earned their first cap throughout the series of matches, something not seen in 25 years. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh showing against Argentina while earning his second cap seemed to be the breakthrough of a major talent.
Standout Performance in Tight Win
He proved to be the key player in what was England's least convincing outing of the November series. He scored the first try before creating the remaining two. His assist for his teammate via a exquisite cross-field kick was the highlight play of the opening period. Likewise, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, concluding a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.
He has 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 multiple midfield roles for his club this season.
Quick Ascent and Upcoming Prospects
It is just a little over a week since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his centre partnership for the future. But, the highest praise that can be paid to Ojomoh 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 make his debut. Fitness issues to other players created the opportunity for Ojomoh to start here, and he undoubtedly will be in contention for a further appearance when the squad regroup to start their Six Nations quest in the new year.
- Versatile Skillset: Can play fly-half and centre.
- Crucial Input: Scored one try and assisted two.
- Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.
Team Background and Wider Significance
Where might England have fared against their opponents without him? Certainly they had some fortune and perhaps it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. The team showed an inevitable drop-off in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps the coach should have made more changes.
A balanced view is needed, however. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to inject much intensity into this match, or for nearly losing a fixture they were dominating. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since recent years. The year concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a loss. The team is midway in the four-year tournament plan and the situation look considerably rosier for Borthwick than they did at this stage.
Squad Depth and Future Planning
The manager appears that, two years out from the global tournament, he understands the core group of the squad he will take to Australia. Naturally, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few existing players of the roster who are not on track for the upcoming event.
This is 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 plans. Borthwick seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Player rankings seem like they are for sailors of yesteryear, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be nursing their wounds after a gut-wrenching narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. While Borthwick plots a course to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after 11 wins in a row, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of this performance.