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

The Northampton Saints star delivered arguably the most impressive defensive performance we have seen from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits versus a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made several crucial choices when things didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

His ability to calm the squad tactically while making big calls is something he has really nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half is England's primary fly-half and deserves to begin versus New Zealand this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it similarly too, because Fin has proven his capability during important international games.

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour to South America.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening and presented a much more difficult challenge.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just 23 - looking ahead two years, with Ford pushing him while providing support, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place in his career.

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

He is developing as a player and is starting to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to show his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive try to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of possessing individuals who can make a real impact as substitutes.

Such type of presence might represent the difference separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop while substituted and thinks about how to create a difference upon entering.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith to be such type influential performer, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

However, at the moment I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a position that is still unclaimed.

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

This role that needs to become a real strength, in defense and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

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

I struggle to see the benefit of playing him there.

I prefer possession under his control frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make the correct decisions under pressure - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

I recall when he got possession during one phase within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed on if they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed reversing Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents and turn pressure.

This represents the type of playmaking securing championships and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary option.

I hope to witness him given the chance demonstrating that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly consistently.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up in difficult situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I think England possesses two fly-halves who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete all-round player.

Defensive System

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure when you have an assertive player in the fly-half channel, instead of an individual being somewhat passive.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many considerations that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

That has not always been the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half selected will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks and execute for a potential 50-20 can take all the stress off England.