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

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive performance we have seen by an English playmaker for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing some strong choices during moments were not going as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His ability to settle the squad tactically while making big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and he should begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick sees it that way as well, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his form during the visit to South America.

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

Australia lost in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how below par Australia performed.

The Fijian team, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous while offering a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him but also offering support, I think Fin will be in a very strong place as a player.

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

He is developing in his career while beginning to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who registered the decisive score defeating the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having players who can make a real impact from the bench.

That kind of player might represent the difference separating victory the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie observes the match develop while substituted and thinks regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially since his early career.

Positional Debate

If we can get Marcus to be such type influential performer, then having him in the backfield might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining unclaimed.

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

This role requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

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

I struggle to see the benefit fielding him there.

I want the ball under his control frequently, but I believe this should occur in the front line, particularly in the final quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous similarities between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make right choices during tense moments - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

I remember as he received possession at one stage just inside his territory and it looked that opportunity existed should they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure the opponents and turn pressure.

That's the sort of playmaking securing titles and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

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

I hope to witness him given the opportunity to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at club level repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging situations, previously one might suggest there have been times he has not quite done so during extremely tense games.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the job, but with Fin's defence combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, rather than someone who is a little more passive.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many considerations that go on privately, however the coaches decide to go, it will give the opponents problems.

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

This time, whichever fly-half selected will pressure the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible 50-20 might relieve pressure away from the national team.