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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.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive display observed from an England fly-half for quite some time.

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

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, and made several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to calm the squad strategically while making important decisions is something he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and deserves to begin versus New Zealand next week.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick sees it similarly as well, because Fin has demonstrated his capability during important international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford began last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy reasons, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring continuity while acknowledging his performance during the visit to South America.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace Australia performed.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly dangerous and presented a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent position as a player.

Marcus Smith also has to be regarded as an option at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He's progressing as a player and is starting to establish himself, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having players who can make a real impact from the bench.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie observes the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have improved significantly from his initial career.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be such type of impactful player, including him among substitutes might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I believe he represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a position that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks will kick testing the English backfield, so it has to be watertight.

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

Currently, I don't think Marcus is a full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to see the benefit of playing him there.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, but I believe this should occur among starters, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously a lot of similarities between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability executing right choices under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits that can be coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he thought the team required to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted to pressure the opponents and turn pressure.

That's the sort of playmaking that wins championships and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him given the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran accomplish, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up during challenging circumstances, previously one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense games.

I believe we have two fly-halves capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the more complete all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to modify your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more reserved.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

There are so many factors occurring privately, however the coaches decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

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

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible 50-20 can take pressure off the national team.