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

The Northampton Saints star produced without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles versus an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, while executing some strong choices during moments were not going to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

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

In my opinion, the young fly-half is England's number one fly-half and he should start against the All Blacks this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach views it similarly too, because Fin has proven he can perform in big Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that decision was to provide continuity and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

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

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

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - projecting forward two years, with Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position as a player.

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

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, though he needs the freedom to show his distinctive attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning score defeating Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having players who can make a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of presence can be the difference separating victory the global tournament or not.

McKenzie observes the match develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced significantly since his early professional days.

Role Discussion

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

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, making it a position that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge England's backfield, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

It is a position that needs to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack threat.

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

I find it difficult to see the advantage fielding him in that position.

I prefer possession in his hands frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

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

Fin has the capacity executing the correct decisions during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something you can really coach.

I recall when he got the ball at one stage within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed should they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted to pressure the opponents and turn pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins titles and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity directing teammates nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show this at elite standards soon, similar to George Ford accomplish, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up during challenging circumstances, previously you could argue there have been times he has not quite done so during extremely tense games.

I believe England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the role, though Smith's defence on top of additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round performer.

Defensive System

It also means you don't have to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, rather than someone who is a little more passive.

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

Numerous considerations occurring privately, but whichever way the coaches decide to go, this will present the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

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