Steve Borthwick praises Max Ojomoh ahead of Japan Test

England head coach Steve Borthwick has described Max Ojomoh as one of the most talented players in English rugby after recalling the Bath centre to his starting lineup for Saturday's Nations Championship clash against Japan at Allianz Stadium.

Max Ojomoh Returns to England Starting Lineup

Ojomoh will start at inside centre for his first international appearance in nearly a year, replacing the injured Seb Atkinson in a reshuffled England backline.

The Bath midfielder was named player of the match in his previous England appearance against Argentina in November 2025 but subsequently spent time outside Borthwick's squad.

With Atkinson unavailable and Benhard Janse van Rensburg recovering from concussion, Ojomoh has been selected ahead of Fraser Dingwall to partner Henry Slade in midfield.

Steve Borthwick Highlights Ojomoh's Talent

Borthwick praised Ojomoh's attacking ability and encouraged him to express himself within England's team structure.

“Max is one of the most talented players in English rugby. I think that’s undeniable. You can see what he can do with the ball in his hands,” said Borthwick.

“That’s one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to seeing him out there on Saturday.

“The team is always the most important thing, at the same time, it’s the balance between the team, self-sacrifice, and self-expression.

"You’ve got players there that when the moment is right, and they’ll judge the moment, that self-expression comes through. So [wing] Will Joseph can get his hands on the ball and back himself in those moments. Go and beat the man in front of him".

England Rely on Experienced Players Against Japan

Borthwick acknowledged that England's new-look backline has limited experience playing together and highlighted the importance of senior players providing leadership.

"One thing that pleased me last week was our backline, how many times they won the ball, they were physical and I want the backline to be physical, I want them to get the ball back.

"The way the game is constructed right now, you don’t want to be defending for lots of phases, so you’ve got to get the ball back. And who is involved in a lot of those phases? The centres.”

George Ford, Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Steward and Henry Slade are expected to help the younger players settle into the team's attacking structure.

England will face Japan on Saturday, November 14, with Borthwick hoping his reshuffled side can combine attacking creativity with a cohesive team performance.