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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced arguably the best defensive display we have seen from an England playmaker in several years.

His courageous approach by consistently making defensive hits against a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing several crucial choices during moments were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to settle the squad tactically and make big calls represents an aspect he has really nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's number one playmaker and deserves to start against the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach the England coach views it similarly too, since Smith has demonstrated his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

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 and reward his performance during the visit to South America.

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

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been more comprehensive given how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more threatening and presented a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just twenty-three - looking ahead two years, with Ford pushing him while providing support, I think Fin will be in a very strong place in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as a possibility at the right time and versus the right opposition.

He is developing as a player and is starting to find his feet, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having players capable of creating a real impact from the bench.

Such type of presence might represent the difference between winning a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop while substituted and thinks regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Role Discussion

If we can get Smith as such type influential player, including him in the backfield could be valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus represents the solution at full-back, so that is a role that is still up for grabs.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English backfield, so it has remain watertight.

This role requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

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

I struggle to see the benefit of playing him there.

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the ability to make right decisions under pressure - his instincts represent traits you can really coach.

I recall when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half and it looked like it could be on if they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he calculated they needed to turn the opposition as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

This represents the type of playmaking that wins titles while claiming World Cups.

All-round Ability

He also has composure during intensity directing teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary option.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, similar to the veteran accomplish, particularly during club level week in consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled in difficult situations, where historically you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense games.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with everything else, it makes him the more complete all-round player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to adjust your defensive system while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half position, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

There are so many factors occurring privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, it will give New Zealand difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

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