🔗 Share this article

It is a interesting feature of England's autumn clean sweep that there were no debutants earned their international debut throughout the recent campaign, something not seen in 25 years. However, Max Ojomoh's showing against Argentina while earning his second appearance felt like the breakthrough of a future star.

Standout Performance in Tight Win

Ojomoh was the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the remaining two. His assist 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 England's final score was equally impressive, concluding a excellent first outing at Twickenham for the 25-year-old.

He has the kind of versatile skillset that every manager desire from their midfield player. His abilities include running, kicking, and passing, and he has appeared at number ten and at both centre positions for his club this campaign.

Rapid Rise and Future Prospects

It is just eight days since the head coach might have felt he had finally unearthed his midfield duo for the future. But, the highest praise that can be given to the young star is that the coach might need to think again. He was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to wait until the last game of the overseas trip to earn his first cap. Injuries to other players created the opportunity for him to start here, and he surely will be in consideration for a third cap when England regroup to start their championship quest in the coming months.

• Versatile Skillset: Can play number ten and midfield.
• Crucial Input: Scored one try and set up two more.
• Important Performance: Stepped up when others were unavailable.

Squad Background and Wider Significance

Where might England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Certainly they rode their luck and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. The team experienced an natural decline in intensity following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick should have made more changes.

A balanced view is required, though. One might be inclined to lambast England for their failure to bring much urgency into this contest, or for nearly losing a game they were dominating. However, this result marks a clean sweep of November matches for the first time since 2016. The year ends with 11 straight wins after starting with a loss. The team is halfway through the four-year tournament plan and the situation look much more positive for Borthwick than they did at this stage.

Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy

The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group of the squad he will bring to Australia. Naturally, there will be the odd bolter. Yet there are not many current members of the roster who are not on track for the upcoming event.

That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it was clear that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have taken action sooner, avoiding the torrid start that affected the squad in the previous cycle.

Player rankings sound like they are for seafarers of the past, but managers rely on them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, England might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. That they were not owes plenty to Ojomoh, fortune, and the strength of the substitutes. While the coach 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 the recent display.