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Max Ojomoh knew he had his work cut out when father Steve told him his proudest sporting moment did not involve rugby.
“He went to the same school as triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards,” says England’s newest cap. “And it’s dad that holds the school record for the event.”
That Ojomoh snr was some sportsman is clear from the fact Edwards broke the world record 30 years ago and his 18.29-metre mark stands to this day. But rugby was where his heart lay. He won 12 England caps in the 1990s and 10 titles, five of them Premierships, playing for Bath.
Starts against USA
On Saturday his 24-year-old son lines up in the England midfield here against the United States. Four years after first gaining squad selection he gets his first cap. That it comes 35 days after his try won Bath the Premiership final has him pinching himself.
“I’ve been chasing it for so long,” he said. “In 2021 I was on England’s tour to the USA and Canada with Eddie [Jones]. I’m somewhat relieved to get here. You wonder after that period of time whether it’s meant to be.
“Dad has been a massive part of my journey. To have ticked off the domestic league and now getting my cap is huge for me because he did both. I don’t think of it as a legacy, maybe a prophecy. It had to be fulfilled at some point.”
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Ojomoh says he never felt family pressure to reach this point where he joins Joe Carpenter, the Sale full-back, and Gloucester second-row Arthur Clark in being awarded debuts against the Eagles at Audi Field.
“Dad is a very humble man,” he insisted. “He never goes on about his career. It was more my own curiosity, finding out about it. There’s stacks and stacks of VHS videos piled up in a corner at home and we’ve still got a VHS recorder. As I say, he stays humble!”
At school Max tried triple jump, “which was not good for my ankles” and cricket. “I played for the South West under-16s but felt there was a ceiling,” he said. “You could be a quick bowler in Bath but in the bigger picture, across the UK, you’re not actually that quick.”
Bath pressure
He has encountered no such ceiling in rugby and believes dealing with the weight of expectation Bath shouldered for so much of the domestic season will serve him well in the international arena.
“When you’re in first place two months out from the play-offs, you’ve also got a European final and everyone is saying you have to win the Prem final, that is real pressure,” he said. “We all felt it as a group. That’s almost shaped me mentally to prepare for moments like this.”
With centres Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence and Fraser Dingwall all injured, opportunity knocks. Seb Atkinson and Luke Northmore have already been blooded on this tour. Now, in the sixth new midfield pairing England have fielded in the last six Tests, it’s Ojomoh’s turn. Four years on, he feels ready.
READ MORE: Mid-year internationals Team Tracker: Georgia fully stocked for ‘daunting’ Springboks while England back youth against USA
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