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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive performance observed from an England playmaker in several years.

His courageous approach by consistently making defensive hits versus an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made some strong choices when things were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His ability to settle the squad strategically and make big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one playmaker and deserves to start versus New Zealand this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach views it that way as well, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership considerations, with some aspect of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

The Wallabies lost in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin considering how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly threatening and presented a much more difficult challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - looking ahead two years, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I believe Fin will be in an excellent place as a player.

Marcus Smith also has to be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of having players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

Such type of player can be the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute observes the match develop from the bench and thinks about how he can make a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced substantially since his early career.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith as that kind influential performer, then having him in the backfield might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I believe he is the answer at full-back, so that is a position that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing England's backfield, therefore it must remain watertight.

This role requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

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

I find it difficult to see the advantage of playing him in that position.

I prefer the ball under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur in the front line, especially in the final quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous similarities comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make right decisions during tense moments - his instincts represent traits you can really coach.

I remember as he received possession at one stage within his territory appearing like it could be should they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed to turn Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness under pressure directing teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show that at the highest level next week, similar to George Ford do, especially at domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult situations, previously you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think we have two fly-halves who can do the role, but with Fin's defence on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure while fielding someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, instead of an individual being a little more reserved.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many considerations that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected will pressure the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick the right kick and execute for a potential territorial gains can take all the stress away from the national team.