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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half against the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced arguably the best defensive performance we have seen from an England playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles versus an aggressive Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, while executing some strong decisions during moments were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

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

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary playmaker and he should begin against the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick sees it similarly too, since Smith has proven he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy considerations, and part of that choice was to provide consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour to South America.

However, the national team's performance against Fiji represented a marked step up compared to the display against Australia.

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

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

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker remains just twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position as a player.

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

He's progressing as a player and is starting to find his feet, though he requires liberty to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of player might represent the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the match develop from the bench and thinks about how he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved substantially since his early career.

Positional Debate

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

However, currently I don't think Marcus is the answer in the number fifteen position, so that is a role that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick testing England's defensive line, so it has remain watertight.

It is a position requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I don't think Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to see the benefit of playing him there.

I want the ball under his control frequently, but I believe that should be in the front line, especially in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously a lot of parallels comparing Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts are not something that can be coach.

I remember as he received the ball during one phase just inside his own half and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford do, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the role, though Smith's defensive work on top of additional qualities, it makes him the more complete versatile player.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to adjust your defensive system while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, instead of an individual being a little more reserved.

One might present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

Numerous factors that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches decide to go, it will give the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

On this occasion, either playmaker selected can put the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability to pick the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take pressure away from the national team.