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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position as England's number ten versus the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the best defensive performance observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing some strong choices when things didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to calm the squad tactically while making important decisions is something he has really nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's number one fly-half and deserves to start versus New Zealand next week.

I think the manager Steve Borthwick views it that way too, because Fin has proven his capability during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford began last Saturday versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, and part of that choice was to provide consistency while acknowledging his form during the visit of Argentina.

However, the national team's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been more comprehensive given how below par Australia performed.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, were much more dangerous and presented a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford challenging him while providing support, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as a possibility at the right time and against the right opposition.

He's progressing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who registered the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of possessing individuals who can make a real impact from the bench.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop from the bench and thinks about how to create an impact upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Marcus as such type of impactful performer, then having him among substitutes might prove valuable.

However, currently I believe he is the answer at full-back, so that is a role remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick testing England's backfield, so it has to be watertight.

This role that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I don't think Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to identify the benefit fielding him there.

I prefer the ball under his control frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make right decisions under pressure - his instincts are not something that can be taught.

I recall as he received the ball during one phase within his territory and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted to pressure them back applying the screw.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing titles and wins global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has composure during intensity directing teammates nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I want to see him given the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford do, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up during challenging situations, previously one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I believe we have two fly-halves capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete all-round player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to modify your defensive system when you have someone aggressive in the fly-half channel, instead of an individual being a little more reserved.

One might present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous considerations that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks and execute enabling possible territorial gains might relieve pressure away from the national team.