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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half versus the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against a physical Fiji side was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made some strong decisions during moments were not going to plan in the first half.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to settle the squad tactically while making big calls is something he has really nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's number one fly-half and deserves to start against the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe the manager the England coach sees it that way too, since Smith has demonstrated his capability during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, and part of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance against Fiji was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated in Italy last weekend, so we should not get overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin considering how below par the Australians were.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening and presented a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent place in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who registered the match-winning score defeating the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having individuals who can make a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference between winning the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie watches the match unfold from the bench and thinks about how to create an impact upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have improved significantly since his early career.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus to be such type influential performer, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining up for grabs.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge the English backfield, so it has to be watertight.

This role requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack threat.

Currently, I believe Marcus functions as full-back at the highest level.

I find it difficult to identify the advantage fielding him in that position.

I prefer the ball under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist a lot of parallels between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts represent traits that can be coach.

I remember when he got possession during one phase just inside his territory appearing like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents applying the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing titles while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness during intensity directing the players around him, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen the veteran do, especially at club level week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defence combined with additional qualities, it makes him the more complete versatile player.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, rather than someone who is a little more reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous considerations occurring privately, but whichever way the management decide to go, this will present the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on picking the right player.

This time, either playmaker they choose can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting optimal kicks and execute for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress off the national team.