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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered arguably the most impressive defensive performance we have seen from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, and made several crucial decisions when things were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the squad strategically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, the young fly-half is England's primary fly-half and he should begin against New Zealand this weekend.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, since Smith has proven he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that decision was to provide consistency and reward his form from the tour of Argentina.

But England's performance against Fiji represented a marked improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin considering how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening and presented a far tougher 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 think Fin will be in an excellent position in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be regarded as a possibility when appropriate and versus the right opposition.

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

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who scored the match-winning try defeating the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of possessing individuals who can make genuine influence as substitutes.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute observes the match develop from the bench while considering about how he can make an impact when he comes on.

His choices and error rate have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be that kind influential player, then having him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

However, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a role remaining up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing England's defensive line, so it has remain impenetrable.

This role that needs to become a real strength, in defense and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I believe Marcus is a full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, though I think that should be among starters, especially in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous parallels between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts represent traits you can really coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase within his own half and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he calculated they needed reversing Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness during intensity directing the players nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't always need to be the first receiver.

I want to see him receiving the chance demonstrating this at elite level next week, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, especially at club level repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe England possesses playmaking options who can do the role, but with Fin's defensive work combined with additional qualities, it makes him the more complete all-round player.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

One might present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous factors that go on privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected can put the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks and execute enabling possible 50-20 might relieve all the stress off England.