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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the first-choice spot as England's number ten against New Zealand on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive performance observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles against an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and composure, and made some strong decisions when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His ability to calm the squad tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has really mastered.

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

I think the manager Steve Borthwick sees it that way as well, since Smith has demonstrated his capability in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford started last Saturday versus the Wallabies for leadership considerations, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his form from the tour to South America.

But England's performance against Fiji represented a marked step up from the performance against Australia.

Australia lost in Italy last weekend, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly dangerous while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford challenging him but also offering support, I believe Fin will be in an excellent position as a player.

The Harlequins star must also be considered as a possibility at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie observes the match unfold from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially since his early career.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as such type influential player, including him among substitutes could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, so that is a position remaining unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge the English backfield, so it has to be watertight.

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

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

I struggle to see the advantage of playing him there.

I want possession under his control frequently, but I believe that should be among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of similarities between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing right choices under pressure - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

I recall when he got possession at one stage just inside his own half appearing like it could be on if they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents and turn the screw.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins championships and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him given the chance to show this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford do, particularly during club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think we have two fly-halves who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, rather than someone who is somewhat reserved.

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

There are so many factors that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches decide to go, it will give New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on picking the optimal individual.

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

Fin's ability selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress off the national team.