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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the best defensive display we have seen from an England playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus a physical Fiji side was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and control, and made some strong choices during moments were not going to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to settle the team tactically and make big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one playmaker and he should start against New Zealand this weekend.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick sees it that way as well, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform during important Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his form from the tour of Argentina.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get overly excited with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening and presented a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent place as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as an option at the right time and against the right opposition.

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of presence might represent the difference between winning the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie watches the match develop while substituted while considering regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have improved significantly since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be that kind of impactful performer, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I believe Marcus represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a role that is still up for grabs.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English backfield, so it has remain watertight.

This role requiring transforming into a genuine asset, in defense and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Currently, I believe Marcus functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

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

I prefer possession under his control frequently, but I believe that should be among starters, particularly in the final quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make right choices under pressure - his natural reactions are not something that can be taught.

I remember as he received the ball during one phase within his own half appearing like it could be should they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing championships and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

He also has that calmness under pressure directing teammates nearby, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult circumstances, previously one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to modify your defensive system while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, rather than someone who is somewhat reserved.

One might present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning with Smith coming off substitution.

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

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve pressure away from the national team.