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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of skill and composure, while executing several crucial choices when things were not going as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to calm the team tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's primary playmaker and he should begin against the All Blacks next week.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick sees it that way too, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy considerations, and part of that decision was to provide continuity and reward his performance during the visit to South America.

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

The Wallabies were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must not get overly excited about that victory, that could have been more comprehensive given how off the pace Australia were.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more dangerous and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent place in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be regarded as an option when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He is developing in his career and is starting to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning score to beat Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of player can be the difference between winning the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute observes the game develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have improved significantly from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith to be such type of impactful performer, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge the English backfield, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

It is a position requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I don't think Marcus is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

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

I want the ball under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist a lot of similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct decisions under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits that can be coach.

I recall as he received possession at one stage within his own half and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, 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.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity directing the players nearby, and the understanding that he doesn't always need as primary receiver.

I want to see him receiving the chance to show this at elite level next week, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, particularly during club level repeatedly consistently.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled in difficult circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I think we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, though Smith's defensive work on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half position, rather than someone who is somewhat passive.

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

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the right player.

This time, either playmaker selected can put the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress off the national team.