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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive performance observed from an England fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus an aggressive Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he showed an excellent balance of skill and control, while executing several crucial decisions during moments were not going as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

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

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and he should start versus New Zealand next week.

I think head coach the England coach sees it that way too, because Fin has proven his capability during important Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

George Ford began last Saturday against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that decision was to provide continuity and reward his form during the visit of Argentina.

But England's performance against Fiji was a significant step up compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must not get overly excited with that win, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par the Australians were.

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

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just twenty-three - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford challenging him while providing support, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong position as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as a possibility at the right time and versus the right opposition.

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

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive score to beat Scotland, demonstrating the importance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of presence can be the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop while substituted and thinks about how to create a difference upon entering.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as that kind influential player, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a position that is still up for grabs.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English defensive line, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

It is a position that needs to become a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I believe Marcus is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

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

I want possession under his control frequently, though I think that should be among starters, especially in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous similarities between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the capacity executing right choices under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits that can be coach.

I remember as he received possession at one stage just inside his own half and it looked that opportunity existed on if they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted to pressure them back applying pressure.

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

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest level next week, similar to George Ford do, especially at club level week in and week out.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up in difficult situations, where historically you could argue there have been times he has not quite delivered during extremely tense matches.

I believe we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, though Smith's defensive work combined with everything else, it makes him the better-rounded all-round player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to modify your defensive system while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more passive.

One might present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous considerations that go on behind closed doors, however the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks and execute for a potential territorial gains can take all the stress away from England.