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Max Ojomoh has been backed to bring his swagger to England’s pursuit of an autumn internationals clean sweep after he was a late call-up following more disruption to Steve Borthwick’s side. Ojomoh has been thrust into the No 12 jersey for a first Twickenham start in place of the injured Fraser Dingwall but Maro Itoje believes the Bath centre will flourish against Argentina.
Dingwall’s withdrawal with a side strain sustained last weekend is further upheaval for Borthwick, who has already lost Ollie Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck since the 33-19 triumph over the All Blacks. With Tommy Freeman and Ollie Chessum also injury casualties of the autumn, Borthwick’s ranks have been depleted but Ojomoh has been in fine fettle for Bath this season and impressed on his debut against the USA last summer.
His inclusion alongside Henry Slade means a seventh different centre partnership of the year for Borthwick, who may have thought he had unearthed his combination for the future in Dingwall and Lawrence last weekend. The England head coach has repeatedly talked up Ben Earl’s ability to play at centre but has resisted the temptation to move the back-row to midfield, handing Ojomoh, the son of ex-England and Bath flanker Steve, the chance to stake a claim.
“He has a bit of a swagger about the way he is around the place, and with the way he plays,” said Itoje. “He obviously comes from a rich rugby heritage family, second generation in his family to be playing for England, so I know this weekend is going to be incredibly special for his family and for himself. I’ve been admiring his play from afar and now I get the opportunity to play with him.
“I got a call some years ago, and I didn’t have his number at the time, and Steve [Ojomoh] basically asked me to talk to Max – this must have been four or five years ago. I’d never met Max, hadn’t spoken to him, obviously heard about his son who was coming up through the ranks in Bath, and he asked me to speak to Max and tell him to study, to keep on his education. I was like: ‘Look, how can I tell this guy to study? I don’t even know him; I haven’t met him.’
“It would be pretty weird if I’d just called him up and just been like: ‘Stay in school.’ I said I’d do it the next time I see him, but the opportunity didn’t come until a few years down the line when I eventually shared the story with him. But I think he is studying now [Ojomoh completed a business and administration degree over the summer], his dad’s influence is working. I’ve been an admirer of the legacy that his dad and that generation of British Nigerians have done in the England jersey.”
England are bidding to round off 2025 with an 11th consecutive win – the only defeat of the year so far coming against Ireland in February – and the first clean sweep of four November Tests since Eddie Jones’s first autumn in charge in 2016. Argentina were victorious the last time they met England at Twickenham in 2022, however, and Itoje is aware of the threat posed by the Pumas – who have already beaten Wales and Scotland this month.
The Argentina head coach, Felipe Contepomi, has made five changes to the side that beat Scotland with Tomás Albornoz returning at fly-half and Marcos Kremer coming back into the side in the back-row. The matchday squad features 10 players who ply their trade in the Prem, including Itoje’s Saracens teammate Juan Martín González, who shifts to blindside flanker and the Harlequins winger Rodrigo Isgró.
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“This is a team that has hurt us before, this is a team that has beaten us, and we know a lot of their players,” said Itoje. “I think there’s probably more Argentinians playing in the Premiership now. We play a lot against a lot of their guys in France, so we’re well aware of the threats that they bring.”
