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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown why he deserves the starting position as England's number ten against the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced arguably the best defensive display observed from an England fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against a physical Fiji side was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made some strong decisions during moments didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the squad strategically while making big calls is something he has really nailed.

In my opinion, Fin Smith represents England's number one playmaker and deserves to start versus New Zealand this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach sees it similarly as well, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform in big international games.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his form during the visit to South America.

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

The Wallabies lost in Italy on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia were.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more threatening and presented a far tougher challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford challenging him while providing support, I believe Fin will be in an excellent place as a player.

The Harlequins star must also be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and versus the right opposition.

He's progressing in his career and is starting to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the significance of possessing players who can make genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence can be the difference between winning the global tournament or not.

McKenzie observes the match unfold from the bench while considering regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

His choices and error rate have enhanced significantly from his initial career.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith as that kind of impactful player, then having him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think he is the answer at full-back, so that is a position that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing England's backfield, therefore it must remain watertight.

It is a position that needs to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I believe Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to identify the benefit fielding him in that position.

I prefer possession under his control frequently, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

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

Fin has the capacity executing the correct choices under pressure - his natural reactions are not something you can really coach.

I remember when he got possession at one stage within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed should they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted to pressure them back and turn pressure.

That's the sort of playmaking securing titles and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness during intensity to organise teammates nearby, and the understanding that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating this at elite level next week, similar to the veteran do, particularly during club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up during challenging circumstances, previously one might suggest there have been times he has not quite delivered during extremely tense games.

I think England possesses two fly-halves capable of performing the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Defensive System

This also indicates you don't have to modify your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half channel, rather than someone who is somewhat passive.

You could also make a strong case favoring Ford beginning with Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many factors that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, it will give New Zealand difficulties.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

This time, either playmaker they choose can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks and execute enabling possible territorial gains might relieve all the stress away from the national team.