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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus New Zealand this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen by an English playmaker for quite some time.

His courageous approach by consistently making his tackles versus a physical Fiji side was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and composure, while executing some strong choices during moments didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to calm the team tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has really mastered.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's primary playmaker and deserves to begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I think the manager the England coach sees it similarly too, because Fin has proven he can perform during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

Australia were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been more comprehensive considering how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering support, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be considered as a possibility when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to show his unique qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who scored the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

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

His decision-making and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith to be such type of impactful player, then having him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

However, currently I believe he is the answer at full-back, so that is a position that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing the English backfield, therefore it must to be watertight.

It is a position requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Right now, I believe Marcus functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to see the advantage of playing him in that position.

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, though I think this should occur among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

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

But in those split-seconds he thought the team required to turn Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin them back applying the screw.

That's the sort of playmaking that wins championships and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness during intensity directing teammates nearby, 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 level next week, just as we have seen the veteran accomplish, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves who can do the role, but with Fin's defence on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded all-round performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to adjust your defensive system when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, rather than an individual being a little more reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many factors occurring privately, but whichever way the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

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

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

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential 50-20 can take all the stress away from England.