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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the first-choice spot for the national team's number ten versus 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 his tackles against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and control, while executing some strong choices during moments were not going as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His ability to calm the squad tactically and make important decisions is something he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's number one playmaker and he should begin versus New Zealand this weekend.

I believe the manager the England coach sees it similarly too, since Smith has proven he can perform during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's performance against Fiji represented a marked improvement compared to the display against Australia.

The Wallabies lost in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must not get overly excited with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia were.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent position in his career.

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

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, though he requires liberty to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of possessing individuals who can make genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute observes the match develop while substituted and thinks about how he can make an impact upon entering.

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

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as that kind of impactful performer, including him among substitutes could be valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, so that is a role that is still up for grabs.

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing England's defensive line, so it has remain watertight.

This role requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

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

I find it difficult to identify the benefit of playing him in that position.

I prefer possession under his control as much as possible, though I think that should be among starters, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

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

Fin has the capacity executing right choices under pressure - his natural reactions are not something that can be coach.

I recall when he got the ball during one phase within his own half appearing that opportunity existed on if they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking that wins championships while claiming World Cups.

Complete Package

He also has that calmness during intensity directing the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen George Ford do, particularly during club level repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defence on top of everything else, establishes him as the more complete versatile player.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, rather than someone who is somewhat reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning with Smith coming off the bench.

Numerous considerations that go on behind closed doors, however the coaches choose to proceed, it will give the opponents difficulties.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve all the stress away from England.