Borthwick challenges Ojomoh to match talent with toughness
Steve Borthwick says Max Ojomoh must combine flair with greater physicality if he is to add value to England's backline.
The England head coach has challenged Ojomoh to match his natural attacking talent with the tougher side of the game. Borthwick wants the backline option to keep the stardust that has marked him out, while adding the kind of physical edge that international rugby demands.
It is a familiar demand in the modern game. Backs are not judged only on passing, stepping or handling in space; they are also expected to absorb contact, defend with authority and help their side win the gain line. At Test level, where every collision is heavier and every mistake is punished, that balance can decide whether a player becomes a specialist threat or a rounded international option.
For Ojomoh, the message is clear. Skill can create opportunities, but it is toughness that often determines whether those opportunities survive the next phase of play. Coaches routinely look for players who can do both, especially in the backline, where ambition must be matched by discipline and physical resilience.
Borthwick’s comments also underline the standards he expects from England’s wider pool of attacking players. Talent alone is rarely enough to force a way into a national side; selection is often shaped by how well a player fits the demands of the system and how reliably he can cope with the intensity around him. Whether Ojomoh can turn that challenge into a more complete game remains to be seen, but the blueprint has been set.
