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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position as England's number ten versus New Zealand this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance observed from an England playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus an aggressive Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, and made several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to calm the team tactically and make big calls is something he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and deserves to begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick sees it similarly too, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform during important international games.

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

But England's showing against Fiji represented a marked improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how below par Australia were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, were much more dangerous while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just 23 - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong place as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be regarded as a possibility at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also requires liberty to show his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive try defeating the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having players who can make genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of presence can be the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the match develop while substituted and thinks about how to create a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved substantially since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as that kind influential player, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe he is the answer in the number fifteen position, so that is a position remaining up for grabs.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge England's backfield, so it has remain impenetrable.

It is a position that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I don't think Smith functions as full-back at the highest level.

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

I prefer the ball under his control frequently, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make right decisions under pressure - his instincts are not something that can be coach.

I remember when he got possession during one phase within his territory and it looked like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he thought the team required reversing the opposition as we are leading points-wise, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking that wins championships and wins global tournaments.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure directing the players nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need as primary option.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense games.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the job, but with Fin's defensive work combined with additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, instead of someone who is somewhat reserved.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting with Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many considerations occurring privately, however the coaches decide to go, this will present the opponents difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on picking the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half selected will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from the national team.