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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the starting position for the national team's number ten versus the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive performance observed by an English playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits versus an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, while executing several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to calm the squad tactically while making important decisions is something he has really mastered.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's number one playmaker and he should begin against New Zealand next week.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way too, since Smith has proven his capability during important international games.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him while providing support, I believe Fin will be in a very strong place in his career.

The Harlequins star must also be regarded as an option when appropriate and against suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career while beginning to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to show his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who registered the decisive score defeating the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop while substituted and thinks about how he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved substantially from his initial career.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith to be such type influential player, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

However, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, making it a role that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

This role that needs to become a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I believe Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to see the benefit fielding him there.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, though I think that should be among starters, especially in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

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

Fin has the capacity executing right choices during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his territory and it looked that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition as we are leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure the opponents and turn pressure.

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

Complete Package

He also has that calmness under pressure directing teammates around him, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first option.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran accomplish, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically you could argue there have been times he has not quite delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think we have playmaking options who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with everything else, establishes him as the more complete all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, instead of an individual being a little more reserved.

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

There are so many factors that go on privately, however the management choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half selected can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible 50-20 can take all the stress off England.