England 27-23 Argentina: Max Ojomoh shines bright as Steve Borthwick’s men hold on for victory

England……………………….27pts

Tries: Ojomoh 10, Feyi-Waboso 25, Slade 64

Conversions: Ford 11, 26, 65

Penalty: Ford 73

Drop goal: Ford 8

Argentina………………………23pts

Tries: Piccardo 45, Isgro 80

Conversions: Albornoz 46, Carreras 81

Penalties: Albornoz 35, 50, Carreras 59

Max Ojomoh fails to be overwhelmed by the size of Twickenham as five months after scoring in a victorious Prem final, the Bath inside centre delivered an inspired performance to guide England to an 11th consecutive win. 

Ojomoh – on just his second cap – scored an early try, delivered a pin-point cross field kick to assist Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in scoring for the first of two assists, while also proving rock solid in defence. 

The 25-year-old, who was a late call-up for the injured Fraser Dingwall, looked every bit at home in England’s infamous 12 jersey, and his player of the match performance is just what the doctor ordered for England’s centre conundrum.

After a contest which was dominated by an abundance of kicking – much to the annoyance of the Allianz Stadium faithful – Argentina were forced to settle for two Autumn wins as their comeback heroics in Edinburgh last weekend failed to be replicated, despite dominating the early stages of the second half. 

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Match action

George Ford continued his drop goal heroics with the Sale Sharks playmaker landing his fifth in just three matches against Argentina, who must be sick of turning their backs to see the flags raised. 

England have been operating with improved ruck speed this autumn under Alex Mitchell but with a formidable box kicker in Ben Spencer pulling the strings today, that was always set to be reduced. 

Juan Cruz Mallia failed to deal with Spencer’s up-and-under, and Ojomoh read the play smartly before pouncing on the loose ball and racing in to score his first England try.

The visitors replied with sustained pressure but Thomas Gallo endured white line fever as he knocked over the line, while Luke Cowan-Dickie produced a try-saver. 

Santiago Carreras had a penalty hit the post and Matias Moroni sliced through the England defence, only for Freddie Steward to race back to prevent a try. 

Argentina’s halfback pairing combined as scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz performed the sort of jackal turnover any back row forward would be proud of to allow Albornoz to get the visitors on the scoreboard. 

England in contrast were far more clinical and Ojomoh’s kick pass fed Feyi-Waboso – the Exeter Chiefs flyer’s second try of the Autumn.  

Ford missed a routine three and England’s maul, led by Cowan-Dickie, looked to have rumbled over to make it a three-score contest at the interval, only for the TMO spotting the Sale hooker had knocked on, meaning there was a sense of frustration amongst the home crowd that they should have led by more at half time. 

Second half

Argentina started the second stanza faster and the impressive Justo Piccardo burst his way through before finishing the Argentine attack and made it a seven-point game. 

Steward and Daly dropped high balls and when Albornoz put over back-to-back penalties it was clear England hadn’t got out of the changing rooms at the start of the second half. 

In fact, ten minutes into the second period, Argentina had 98 per cent possession and the tourists had all the momentum.

England’s scrum supremacy earned them a rare foray into the opposing half but they came up empty handed when Ford missed a drop goal. 

However, the home side brilliantly wrestled back momentum as Ford’s flat to the line passing got England on the front foot and Ojomoh’s chicken wing offload fed his centre partner Henry Slade in scoring. 

Harlequins wing Rodrigo Isgro scored a last-gasp touchdown after Alex Coles was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements, but Ford’s earlier penalty just about allowed Steve Borthwick‘s men to round off a statement 2025 ahead of the Six Nations. 

Teams and more

England: Steward; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Ojomoh, Daly; Ford, Spencer (Mitchell 61); Genge (Baxter 51), Cowan-Dickie (Dan 72), Opoku-Fordjour (Stuart 51), Itoje (Ewels 72), Coles (YC 80), Pepper (Pollock 51), Underhill (T Curry 51), Earl

Not used: M Smith

Argentina: Mallia; Isgro, Moroni, Piccardo, Delguy; Albornoz (Carreras 9, Albornoz 22, Carreras 51), Cruz (Moyano 51); Gallo (Wenger 61), Montoya (Ruiz 67), Delgado (Rapetti 46), Petti Pagadizabal (Molina 61), Rubiolo, Gonzalez, Kremer (Matera 46, Kremer 53, Matera 65), Grondona (Oviedo 46)

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)

Star Player: Max Ojomoh (England)

READ MORE: Jeremy Guscott: It’s great to see England carving out a way to win