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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the best defensive display we have seen from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

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

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the team strategically while making important decisions is something he has really nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half is England's number one playmaker and he should begin against New Zealand this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it similarly as well, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform during important Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that decision aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace the Australians were.

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

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only 23 - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford pushing him but also offering support, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position in his career.

The Harlequins star must also be regarded as an option at the right time and versus the right opposition.

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive try defeating Scotland, and that shows the importance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of player can be the difference between winning the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute observes the game develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

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

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as that kind of impactful performer, then having him among substitutes might prove valuable.

However, at the moment I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, so that is a role that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

It is a position requiring transforming into a genuine asset, in defense while regarding of the counter-attack threat.

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

I find it difficult to identify the advantage of playing him in that position.

I prefer possession under his control as much as possible, but I believe that should be among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous similarities between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make right decisions under pressure - his natural reactions are not something you can really taught.

I remember when he got the ball at one stage just inside his own half and it looked that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he thought they needed to turn the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure the opponents and turn the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he mustn't constantly serve as primary option.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest standards soon, similar to the veteran do, especially at club level repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense matches.

I think we have playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defence on top of additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded all-round performer.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is somewhat passive.

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

There are so many considerations that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents difficulties.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve pressure away from the national team.