This marks a curious feature of England's autumn clean sweep that no new players earned their international debut during the series of matches, something not seen in a quarter of a century. Yet, the performance of Max Ojomoh display against the Argentine side while securing his second cap felt like the arrival of a future star.
He proved to be the key player in what was the team's most challenging outing of the autumn. He scored the opening touchdown before setting up the other two. The setup for his teammate via a delightful cross-field kick was the champagne moment of the first half. Similarly, his popped pass to Henry Slade for the team's final score was just as impressive, capping off a fine debut performance at the home stadium for the 25-year-old.
Ojomoh possesses 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 fly-half and at multiple midfield roles for his club this campaign.
It is just eight days since the head coach 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 the coach might need to think again. Ojomoh was initially selected to an England squad previously, but had to bide his time until the final match of the summer tour to make his debut. Fitness issues to teammates created the opportunity for Ojomoh to begin here, and he undoubtedly will be in consideration for a further appearance when England regroup to start their Six Nations campaign in the new year.
How would England have fared against Argentina without him? Certainly they had some fortune and maybe it is no coincidence that he was their best player. England showed an natural decline in intensity following a major win over the All Blacks. Perhaps Borthwick should have made more changes.
Some perspective is required, however. It is tempting to criticize England for their failure to inject much intensity into this contest, or for almost throwing away a game they were dominating. However, this outcome completes a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the initial occasion since 2016. The year concludes with 11 straight wins after beginning with a defeat. The team is midway in the World Cup cycle and the situation look considerably rosier for the coach than they did previously.
Borthwick gives the impression that, with time remaining from the global tournament, he knows the core group 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 roster who are not on track for the 2027 tournament.
That represents an benefit because it was a problem for his predecessor, who struggled when it became apparent that veterans were not going to play in his strategy. He seems to have taken action earlier, avoiding the torrid start that plagued the team in the previous cycle.
Player rankings sound like they are for seafarers of yesteryear, but coaches swear by them and the coach can be satisfied with his. On another day, the team might be dealing with a loss after a gut-wrenching late defeat. That they were not is largely due to Ojomoh, fortune, and the quality of England's substitutes. While the coach plans the route to the championship, he has wind in England's sails after an unbeaten run, and as a result we can overlook the paucity of this performance.
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