This marks a curious aspect of England's November clean sweep that no new players made their international debut throughout the recent campaign, a scenario not seen in a quarter of a century. However, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while earning his second appearance seemed to be the arrival of a major talent.
Star Performance in Tight Win
He proved to be the key player in what was the team's least convincing performance of the November series. He scored the opening touchdown before creating the other two. His assist for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso via a exquisite long pass was the highlight play of the opening period. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for England's final score was equally eye-catching, capping off a excellent debut performance at the home stadium for the young player.
He has the sort of versatile skillset that all coaches would want 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 season.
Quick Ascent and Upcoming Prospects
It is just eight days since the head coach could have believed he had discovered his midfield duo for the long term. But, 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 national team previously, but had to wait 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 undoubtedly will be in contention for a third cap when the squad regroup to start their championship campaign in the coming months.
- Multiple Abilities: Can play number ten and centre.
- Crucial Input: Notched a touchdown and assisted two.
- Important Performance: Stepped up when teammates were unavailable.
Team Background and Broader Significance
Where might England have been against their opponents without Ojomoh? Undoubtedly they rode their luck and maybe it is not surprising that he was their standout performer. England experienced an inevitable drop-off in energy following a significant victory over the All Blacks. Maybe Borthwick should have freshened things up.
Some perspective is needed, though. It is tempting to lambast the side for their failure to inject much urgency into this match, or for almost throwing away a fixture they were controlling. But, this outcome completes a clean sweep 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 four-year tournament plan and things look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.
Squad Depth and Long-Term Strategy
The manager gives the impression that, with time remaining from the World Cup, he understands the vast majority of the squad he will bring to Australia. Of course, there will be the surprise inclusion. But there are very few current members of the squad who are not in contention for the upcoming event.
That represents an advantage because it was a problem for his preceding coach, who found it difficult when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have grasped the nettle sooner, avoiding the difficult beginning that plagued the squad in the past.
Depth charts sound like they belong to sailors of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and Borthwick can be satisfied with his. Under different circumstances, the team might be dealing with a loss after a heartbreaking narrow loss. The fact they avoided that owes plenty to the young star, fortune, and the quality of the substitutes. As Borthwick plans the route to the Six Nations, he has positive momentum after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the lack of quality of the recent display.
