Maro Itoje Backs Late Call-up Max Ojomoh To Shine Against Argentina

Max Ojomoh has been backed to bring his swagger to England’s pursuit of an autumn internationals cleanable expanse aft he was a precocious call-up pursuing more wounded disruption to Steve Borthwick’s side. Ojomoh has been thrust into nan No 12 jersey for a first Twickenham commencement successful spot of nan injured Fraser Dingwall but Maro Itoje believes nan Bath centre will flourish against Argentina.

Dingwall’s withdrawal pinch a broadside wounded sustained past play is further upheaval for Borthwick, who has already mislaid Ollie Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck since nan 33-19 triumph complete nan All Blacks. With Tommy Freeman and Ollie Chessum besides wounded casualties of nan autumn, Borthwick’s ranks person been depleted but Ojomoh has been successful good fettle for Bath this play and impressed connected his debut against nan USA past summer.

His inclusion alongside Henry Slade intends a seventh different centre business of nan twelvemonth for Borthwick, who whitethorn person thought he had unearthed his operation for nan early successful Dingwall and Lawrence past weekend, only to suffer some to injury. The England caput coach has many times talked up Ben Earl’s expertise to play astatine centre but has resisted nan enticement to move nan back-rower to midfield, handing Ojomoh, nan boy of ex-England back-rower Steve, nan chance to liking a claim.

“He has a spot of a swagger astir nan measurement he is astir nan place, and pinch nan measurement he plays,” said Itoje. “He evidently comes from a rich | rugby practice family, 2nd procreation successful his family to beryllium playing for England, truthful I cognize this play is going to beryllium incredibly typical for his family and for himself. I’ve been admiring his play from afar and now I get nan opportunity to play pinch him.

“I sewage a telephone immoderate years ago, and I didn’t person his number astatine nan time, and Steve [Ojomoh] fundamentally asked maine to talk to Max – this must person been 4 aliases 5 years ago. I’d ne'er met Max, hadn’t spoken to him, evidently heard astir his boy who was coming up done nan ranks successful Bath, and he asked maine to speak to Max and show him to study, to support connected his education. I was like: ‘Look, really tin I show this feline to study? I don’t moreover cognize him; I haven’t met him.’

“It would beryllium beautiful weird if I’d conscionable called him up and conscionable been like: ‘Stay successful school.’ I said I’d do it nan adjacent clip I spot him, but nan opportunity didn’t travel until a fewer years down nan statement erstwhile I yet shared nan communicative pinch him. But I deliberation he is studying now [Ojomoh completed a business and management grade complete nan summer], his dad’s power is working. I’ve been an admirer of nan bequest that his dada and that procreation of British Nigerians person done successful nan England jersey.”

England are bidding to information disconnected 2025 pinch an 11th consecutive triumph – nan only conclusion of nan twelvemonth truthful acold coming against Ireland successful February – and nan first cleanable expanse of 4 November Tests since Eddie Jones’s first autumn successful complaint successful 2016. Argentina were victorious nan past clip they met England astatine Twickenham successful 2022, however, and Itoje is alert of nan threat posed by nan Pumas – who person already beaten Wales and Scotland this month.

The Argentina caput coach, Felipe Contepomi, has made 5 changes to nan broadside that hit Scotland pinch Tomás Albornoz returning astatine fly-half and Marcos Kremer coming backmost into nan broadside successful nan back-row. The matchday squad features 10 players who ply their waste and acquisition successful nan Prem, including Itoje’s Saracens teammate Juan Martín González, who shifts to blindside flanker and nan Harlequins winger Rodrigo Isgró.

“This is simply a squad that has wounded america before, this is simply a squad that has beaten us, and we cognize a batch of their players,” said Itoje. “I deliberation there’s astir apt much Argentinians playing successful nan Premiership now. We play a batch against a batch of their guys successful France, truthful we’re good alert of nan threats that they bring.”