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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the best defensive display we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of finesse and composure, while executing some strong choices when things didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the team strategically while making big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's primary fly-half and deserves to start versus the All Blacks next week.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick sees it that way too, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform in big Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been more comprehensive given how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more dangerous while offering a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just 23 - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford challenging him while providing support, I think Fin will be in a very strong position in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as an option when appropriate and versus the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his unique qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who scored the decisive try to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having individuals who can make genuine influence as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference between winning the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced significantly since his early career.

Positional Debate

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

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a role that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English backfield, so it has remain impenetrable.

This role that needs to become a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

Currently, I don't think Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to see the benefit fielding him in that position.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels comparing Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing the correct choices under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits you can really taught.

I remember as he received possession at one stage just inside his territory and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

However during these milliseconds he calculated they needed reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins titles while claiming global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity directing the players nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, similar to the veteran accomplish, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging situations, previously one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure games.

I think England possesses playmaking options who can do the role, but with Fin's defence combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

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

One might make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

Numerous considerations that go on privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose can put the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick and execute enabling possible territorial gains might relieve pressure off England.