Max Ojomoh grasped his unexpected England opportunity with both hands, delivering a stunning man-of-the-match performance against Argentina that has significantly intensified competition for places in Steve Borthwick's midfield.
Late Call-Up Leads to Stunning Performance
The 25-year-old Bath centre was a late replacement at inside centre after Fraser Dingwall was ruled out with a side strain just before Sunday's clash at Twickenham. Thrown into the starting lineup for only his second cap, Ojomoh responded magnificently by scoring England's opening try and creating two others in their 11th consecutive victory.
Ojomoh broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with a well-timed finish, before turning provider with a pinpoint cross-kick that sent Immanuel Feyi-Waboso racing over in the first half. The debutant wasn't finished there, producing a spectacular offload out of the tackle in the second period that allowed Henry Slade to cross for a crucial score.
Midfield Competition Heating Up
This outstanding display leaves head coach Steve Borthwick with a significant selection dilemma ahead of England's Six Nations opener against Wales on 7 February. Ojomoh's emergence creates intense competition with Seb Atkinson and the recovering Fraser Dingwall for what has historically been a problem position for England.
"A year ago people were going crazy about a centre crisis," Ojomoh reflected after helping complete England's autumn clean sweep. "Now I'm seeing Seb, Fraser, Ollie Lawrence, Luke Northmore and a lot of 12s coming through. That kind of competition pushes everyone to perform at a higher level."
The Bath playmaker acknowledged he felt compelled to make an impression, adding: "Seb and Fraser have been excellent in their last games at 12 so I thought I had to try something out there. Only the lucky ones and the very, very good players get picked straight away, play well and keep their spot."
Confidence Growing for Six Nations Campaign
Ojomoh expressed particular delight with his assist for Feyi-Waboso's try, revealing it was a skill he'd previously struggled to execute at club level. "My favourite bit was the cross kick because I have never done that in the Prem," he admitted. "I have tried when I've had penalty advantage and I have spooned all of them so it was a great time for it to stick."
His creative offload for Slade's score came from similar adventurous thinking. "I was really surprised for the off-load," Ojomoh confessed. "I saw Sladey and I thought 'nothing to lose, may as well have a crack'."
With England now entering the Six Nations as genuine title contenders, Ojomoh reflected on the significance of their perfect autumn campaign. "I'm very happy for the team that they have got four from four this month," he said. "It's been a very good campaign from a very well gelled squad. It's good to be a part of."
