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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the starting position as England's number ten against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive display we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing defensive hits against an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of skill and control, while executing several crucial decisions when things were not going as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to settle the squad tactically and make important decisions is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's primary playmaker and deserves to start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe the manager the England coach sees it that way as well, since Smith has proven he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

George Ford started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin considering how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous while offering a much more difficult test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith 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 position in his career.

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

He is developing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who registered the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute observes the game unfold while substituted and thinks regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

His choices and mistake frequency have improved substantially from his initial professional days.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus to be that kind of impactful performer, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think Marcus is the answer in the number fifteen position, making it a position that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand will kick testing the English backfield, therefore it must to be watertight.

It is a position that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I believe Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to see the benefit fielding him there.

I want possession in his hands frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make the correct choices under pressure - his natural reactions are not something you can really taught.

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

But in those split-seconds he calculated the team required to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure them back applying the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing championships and wins global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has composure during intensity directing the players nearby, while recognizing that he mustn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him receiving the chance demonstrating that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defence on top of additional qualities, it makes him the more complete versatile player.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, rather than an individual being a little more reserved.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting with Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many considerations that go on privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

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

Fin's ability selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve pressure away from the national team.