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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive display we have seen from an England playmaker for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing defensive hits against an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and control, and made some strong decisions during moments didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to settle the team tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half represents England's number one fly-half and deserves to start against New Zealand next week.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it similarly too, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

George Ford started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his performance from the tour to South America.

However, the national team's showing versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked step up from the performance against Australia.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been more comprehensive considering how below par Australia were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening and presented a far tougher test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as a possibility when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

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

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive score defeating the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of possessing players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor between winning a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop from the bench while considering regarding ways to create an impact upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have improved substantially from his initial career.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith as such type of impactful player, then having him among substitutes could be valuable.

However, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, so that is a position remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick testing England's backfield, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

It is a position requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

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

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

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly in the final quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make right decisions under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits you can really coach.

I recall as he received the ball during one phase just inside his own half appearing that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents and turn the screw.

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

Complete Package

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary option.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, similar to the veteran do, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult situations, where historically you could argue there have been times he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe we have two fly-halves who can do the job, but with Fin's defensive work combined with everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Defensive System

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, instead of someone who is somewhat reserved.

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

Numerous considerations occurring privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on selecting the optimal individual.

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

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks and execute for a potential territorial gains can take pressure off England.