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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus New Zealand on Saturday.

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

How he fronted up by consistently making defensive hits against a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, and made several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the squad tactically and make big calls represents an aspect he has really nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half represents England's number one playmaker and he should start versus the All Blacks next week.

I think the manager the England coach views it similarly as well, since Smith has proven he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide continuity while acknowledging his form during the visit of Argentina.

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

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away with that win, that could have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia performed.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent position in his career.

The Harlequins star must also be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and against suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score to beat Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having players capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of player can be the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop while substituted and thinks about how he can make a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have improved substantially from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith to be such type of impactful player, then having him among substitutes might prove valuable.

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

The All Blacks will kick testing the English backfield, therefore it must to be watertight.

This role that needs transforming into a genuine asset, in defense and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Currently, I don't think Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the benefit fielding him there.

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, but I believe that should be among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct choices under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I recall as he received possession during one phase just inside his own half and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

However during these milliseconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

That's the sort of playmaking securing championships while claiming World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity to organise the players nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary option.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity to show this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, especially at domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult circumstances, previously one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense games.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves who can do the job, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, it makes him the more complete all-round performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates you don't have to modify your defensive system while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, rather than someone who is a little more reserved.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many factors that go on privately, however the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

That has not always been the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, either playmaker selected can put New Zealand significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick and execute enabling possible territorial gains might relieve all the stress off the national team.