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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's number ten against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the best defensive performance observed from an England fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach by consistently making his tackles versus an aggressive Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of finesse and control, while executing some strong decisions when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to calm the team tactically while making big calls is something 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 this weekend.

I believe head coach the England coach sees it that way too, since Smith has proven he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

George Ford began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership considerations, and part of that decision was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour to South America.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up compared to the display against Australia.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous and presented a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong position as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as a possibility at the right time and against the right opposition.

He is developing in his career and is starting to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who registered the decisive try to beat Scotland, and that shows the importance of possessing individuals who can make genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of player might represent the difference separating victory a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the game develop from the bench and thinks about how he can make a difference when he comes on.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be such type influential performer, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think he represents the solution at full-back, so that is a position that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

This role requiring to become a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

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

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

I want possession in his hands frequently, but I believe this should occur in the front line, especially during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make right decisions under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits you can really taught.

I remember as he received the ball at one stage just inside his territory appearing that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed reversing Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents and turn pressure.

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

All-round Ability

He also has composure under pressure to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he mustn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him given the opportunity to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly consistently.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, where historically you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves who can do the role, though Smith's defence combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust your defensive system while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, rather than someone who is a little more reserved.

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

Numerous factors that go on privately, however the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker selected will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take pressure away from England.