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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 number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the most impressive defensive performance we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

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

His tactical control proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of skill and control, and made several crucial decisions when things were not going as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to settle the squad strategically while making important decisions represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's number one playmaker and he should begin versus New Zealand this weekend.

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

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford began the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring consistency and reward his form during the visit to South America.

But England's showing against Fiji was a significant improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

The Wallabies were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited about that victory, that could have been more comprehensive given how off the pace Australia were.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more threatening and presented a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just 23 - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong place as a player.

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 find his feet, but he also requires liberty to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who scored the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of having individuals capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference separating victory a World Cup or not.

McKenzie watches the match unfold from the bench and thinks about how to create an impact when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have improved significantly since his early professional days.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Smith to be such type of impactful player, including him in the backfield could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe he represents the solution at full-back, making it a position that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

It is a position requiring transforming into a real strength, in defense and in terms offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I don't think Marcus is a full-back at the highest level.

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

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, but I believe that should be in the front line, particularly during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity executing right decisions during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something you can really taught.

I recall when he got possession during one phase just inside his own half appearing that opportunity existed should they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he thought the team required to turn the opposition as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin them back applying the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has composure under pressure to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen George Ford do, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, previously you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work on top of additional qualities, it makes him the more complete versatile player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to adjust your defensive system while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more passive.

One might present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning with Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous considerations that go on behind closed doors, however the coaches choose to proceed, it will give New Zealand 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 the All Blacks under real pressure.

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