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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against an aggressive Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, while executing several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the squad tactically while making important decisions is something he has really nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's primary fly-half and he should begin versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick views it similarly too, since Smith has demonstrated his capability in big Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

George Ford began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour to South America.

But England's performance against Fiji represented a marked step up from the performance against Australia.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just 23 - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering support, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be regarded as a possibility at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to show his distinctive qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who scored the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of possessing players who can make genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of player can be the difference separating victory a World Cup from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have improved significantly from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Marcus as such type influential performer, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

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

The All Blacks will kick to challenge England's backfield, so it has remain impenetrable.

It is a position requiring transforming into a real strength, in defense and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Currently, I believe Marcus is a full-back at the highest level.

I find it difficult to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I want the ball under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist a lot of similarities between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make right choices under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits that can be taught.

I remember when he got possession at one stage just inside his territory and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play securing championships while claiming global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness during intensity directing the players nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the chance demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at club level week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled in difficult situations, where historically one might suggest there have been times he has not quite delivered in the very highest-pressure games.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defence combined with everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round player.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more passive.

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

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

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible territorial gains might relieve pressure away from the national team.