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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced without doubt the best defensive performance observed by an English playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making defensive hits versus an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and control, and made some strong decisions during moments were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to settle the squad tactically and make big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary playmaker and deserves to start against New Zealand next week.

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

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday against Australia for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance during the visit to South America.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, so we should not get overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford challenging him while providing backup, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong place in his career.

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

He is developing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to show his unique qualities.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who scored the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

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

McKenzie observes the match develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have improved substantially from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Smith as that kind of impactful performer, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I don't think Marcus is the answer in the number fifteen position, so that is a role that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

This role that needs transforming into a genuine asset, in defense while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I believe Smith is a full-back at the highest level.

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

I prefer the ball under his control frequently, but I believe this should occur in the front line, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous parallels comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity executing the correct decisions under pressure - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

I recall as he received the ball at one stage within his own half and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he thought the team required reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure them back and turn pressure.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing championships while claiming World Cups.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show this at elite standards soon, similar to George Ford do, particularly during club level week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging situations, previously you could argue occasions existed he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think we have two fly-halves who can do the job, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to modify your defensive system while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half channel, instead of someone who is somewhat passive.

One might make a strong case favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many factors occurring privately, however the coaches decide to go, this will present the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker selected will pressure the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take all the stress away from the national team.