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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the first-choice spot for the national team's fly-half versus New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing several crucial choices when things were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

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

In my opinion, Fin Smith represents England's primary playmaker and he should start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform in big Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford began last Saturday versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour to South America.

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

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more dangerous while offering a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just 23 - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing support, I think Fin will be in an excellent position as a player.

Marcus Smith also has to be regarded as an option when appropriate and versus the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to show his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive try to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of possessing individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence can be the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie watches the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make an impact when he comes on.

His choices and mistake frequency have improved significantly from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Marcus as that kind of impactful performer, including him in the backfield could be valuable.

However, currently I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining up for grabs.

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

It is a position requiring to become a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I don't think Marcus functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the advantage of playing him in that position.

I want possession under his control frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous similarities comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the ability to make right choices during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I remember when he got possession at one stage just inside his territory and it looked that opportunity existed on if they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

That's the sort of fly-half play that wins titles while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure to organise teammates nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need as primary receiver.

I want to see him given the chance demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, particularly during club level week in and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging circumstances, previously you could argue there have been times he has not quite done so during extremely tense matches.

I believe England possesses playmaking options who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify your defensive system when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, instead of someone who is somewhat passive.

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

Numerous factors occurring privately, however the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

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

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks and execute enabling possible territorial gains might relieve pressure off England.