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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's number ten against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered arguably the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

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

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and composure, and made some strong decisions when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to calm the team strategically while making important decisions represents an aspect he has really mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's number one playmaker and deserves to begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I believe head coach the England coach views it that way as well, because Fin has proven his capability in big Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

George Ford started last Saturday against Australia for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's showing against Fiji was a significant improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must not get too carried away about that victory, that could have been more comprehensive considering how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker remains just 23 - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as an option at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who registered the match-winning try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having individuals who can make genuine influence as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop from the bench and thinks about how to create a difference when he comes on.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Marcus as that kind of impactful performer, including him among substitutes could be valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing England's defensive line, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

It is a position requiring transforming into a genuine asset, in defense while regarding offensive transitions danger.

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

I struggle to see the benefit of playing him in that position.

I prefer the ball in his hands frequently, though I think this should occur in the front line, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make right choices during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I recall as he received the ball during one phase within his own half appearing that opportunity existed on if they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

This represents the type of fly-half play securing titles while claiming World Cups.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him given the chance to show that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, particularly during domestic matches week in and week out.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, previously you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think England possesses two fly-halves capable of performing the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete versatile performer.

Defensive System

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half position, rather than an individual being a little more passive.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

Numerous factors occurring privately, however the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half selected will pressure the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick the right kick while delivering enabling possible 50-20 can take pressure away from England.