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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the starting position as England's number ten against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive performance we have seen by an English fly-half 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 an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing some strong choices when things were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His ability to settle the squad tactically and make important decisions is something he has really mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary playmaker and deserves to begin versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick sees it similarly too, because Fin has proven his capability in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his form during the visit of Argentina.

But England's showing against Fiji represented a marked improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly threatening while offering a far tougher challenge.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford pushing him but also offering support, I think Fin will be in an excellent place as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who scored the decisive score defeating the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of player might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

McKenzie observes the match develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

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

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus to be such type of impactful player, including him among substitutes could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus is the answer in the number fifteen position, so that is a role that is still up for grabs.

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

This role that needs to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

Currently, I don't think Smith is a full-back at the highest level.

I find it difficult to see the advantage of playing him there.

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

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make the correct decisions during tense moments - his instincts are not something you can really coach.

I recall as he received possession at one stage within his own half and it looked like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he thought the team required to turn Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure the opponents and turn the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness under pressure directing the players around him, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary option.

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

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging 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, though Smith's defence on top of additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete all-round player.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half channel, rather than an individual being a little more reserved.

One might present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

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

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative against the All Blacks, when attention was simply on picking the right player.

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

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick and execute for a potential territorial gains can take pressure away from the national team.