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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's number ten against New Zealand this weekend.

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

How he fronted up by consistently making defensive hits versus a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, while executing some strong choices during moments were not going as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the team strategically and make big calls is something he has truly nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's primary fly-half and deserves to start versus New Zealand next week.

I think the manager Steve Borthwick sees it similarly too, because Fin has proven he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, and part of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity while acknowledging his performance during the visit of Argentina.

However, the national team's showing against Fiji was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must not get too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace the Australians performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more threatening and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just 23 - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent position in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as an option at the right time and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of having individuals capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference between winning a World Cup or not.

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

His decision-making and error rate have improved substantially from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Marcus as such type of impactful performer, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

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

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing the English backfield, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

This role that needs transforming into a real strength, in defense while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Currently, I don't think Marcus functions as full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to see the advantage of playing him there.

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, but I believe that should be in the front line, particularly during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make the correct decisions during tense moments - his instincts represent traits that can be taught.

I remember as he received the ball during one phase just inside his territory appearing like it could be on if they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure them back and turn the screw.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing titles and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure to organise teammates nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't constantly serve to be the first option.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford do, particularly during club level 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 done so during extremely tense games.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to modify the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half channel, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

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

Numerous considerations occurring privately, however the management decide to go, this will present the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks and execute enabling possible territorial gains can take all the stress off England.