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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half versus New Zealand this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered arguably the most impressive defensive display we have seen by an English fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of skill and control, and made several crucial choices during moments didn't proceed to plan in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to settle the team tactically while making important decisions is something he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary fly-half and he should begin against the All Blacks this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach views it similarly too, because Fin has demonstrated his capability in big international games.

Team Selection and Competition

George Ford began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, and part of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his performance during the visit of Argentina.

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

Australia were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must not get overly excited with that win, that could have been by a larger margin considering how below par the Australians were.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more threatening while offering a far tougher challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker remains just 23 - projecting forward two years, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent position as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as an option when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his unique qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning score defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

Such type of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

McKenzie observes the game develop from the bench while considering regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced significantly since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be such type influential player, including him among substitutes might prove valuable.

However, at the moment I don't think he represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must remain watertight.

It is a position that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

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

I struggle to identify the benefit fielding him there.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, particularly during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct decisions under pressure - his natural reactions are not something you can really coach.

I recall as he received possession at one stage just inside his territory appearing that opportunity existed should they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted to pressure them back applying pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play securing titles and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I want to see him given the opportunity to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during club level week in consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up during challenging situations, previously one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe England possesses playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round player.

Defensive System

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

One might present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith coming off the bench.

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

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from the national team.