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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half versus New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen by an English playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits against an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of skill and composure, and made several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to calm the squad strategically and make important decisions represents an aspect he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's number one playmaker and deserves to start against New Zealand this weekend.

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

George Ford started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up compared to the display against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, so we should not get too carried away about that victory, which should have been by a larger margin given how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more dangerous while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I believe Fin will be in a very strong place as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as an option at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player and is starting to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of having players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute observes the match develop while substituted and thinks regarding ways he can make a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced substantially from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith as such type of impactful player, including him among substitutes could be valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I don't think Marcus is the answer in the number fifteen position, so that is a position remaining up for grabs.

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing the English defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

It is a position requiring to become a real strength, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I don't think Marcus is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

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

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, though I think that should be among starters, particularly during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist a lot of parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the ability executing right decisions under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I remember as he received the ball at one stage just inside his own half and it looked that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

But in those milliseconds he calculated they needed reversing Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin them back applying the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing championships while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has that calmness under pressure to organise teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I want to see him given the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, similar to the veteran accomplish, particularly during domestic matches week in and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense matches.

I think we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work on top of additional qualities, it makes him the more complete all-round performer.

Defensive System

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

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

Numerous considerations occurring behind closed doors, however the management choose to proceed, this will present the opponents problems.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus was simply on picking the right player.

On this occasion, either playmaker selected can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick and execute enabling possible territorial gains can take pressure off the national team.