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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot for the national team's number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced arguably the most impressive defensive display we have seen from an England playmaker for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, and made some strong choices when things didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to settle the squad tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary fly-half and deserves to start versus New Zealand next week.

I believe head coach the England coach sees it similarly too, because Fin has demonstrated his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity and reward his performance from the tour to South America.

But England's showing against Fiji was a significant step up compared to the display against Australia.

Australia were defeated in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must not get too carried away with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just 23 - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent place in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be regarded as an option when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career while beginning to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive try to beat Scotland, and that shows the importance of having individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence might represent the difference between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie watches the game develop while substituted while considering regarding ways to create an impact when he comes on.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially from his initial career.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as such type influential performer, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

However, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, so that is a position that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing England's defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

This role that needs transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

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

I find it difficult to see the benefit fielding him there.

I want possession in his hands frequently, though I think this should occur in the front line, especially in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously a lot of parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the ability to make the correct choices during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits that can be coach.

I recall as he received the ball at one stage within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed on if they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he calculated the team required to turn Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins championships while claiming World Cups.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford accomplish, particularly during club level week in consistently.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, previously one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify your defensive system when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, instead of someone who is a little more passive.

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

There are so many factors occurring privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, this will present the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the right player.

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

Fin's ability to pick the right kick and execute for a potential 50-20 might relieve pressure off England.