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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive performance observed from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of finesse and control, and made several crucial choices when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to settle the squad strategically and make important decisions is something he has really nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and deserves to begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, because Fin has demonstrated his capability during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, and part of that choice was to provide consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement compared to the display against Australia.

Australia lost on Italian soil last weekend, so we should avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, that could have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly dangerous while offering a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him while providing backup, I believe Fin will be in a very strong position in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as a possibility at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career and is starting to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive score defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

McKenzie watches the game develop while substituted and thinks regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved significantly since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith as that kind influential player, then having him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

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

New Zealand are likely to punt testing the English defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

It is a position that needs to become a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Currently, I believe Marcus is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

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

I prefer the ball under his control as much as possible, though I think that should be in the front line, particularly during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct decisions during tense moments - his instincts are not something that can be coach.

I remember as he received the ball at one stage within his own half and it looked like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he thought the team required reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

That's the sort of fly-half play that wins championships and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I want to see him given the chance to show this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up in difficult situations, previously one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite delivered during extremely tense games.

I think we have playmaking options who can do the role, but with Fin's defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

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

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

Numerous considerations that go on privately, however the coaches decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take pressure off England.