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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the best defensive display we have seen by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of skill and composure, and made some strong choices when things were not going to plan in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Leadership

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

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and he should begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick sees it that way as well, because Fin has proven he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his performance during the visit of Argentina.

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

Australia lost on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just twenty-three - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong position in his career.

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

He's progressing as a player and is starting to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing players who can make genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of presence can be the difference separating victory the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie observes the game develop while substituted while considering regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved significantly since his early professional days.

Role Discussion

If we can get Smith to be such type influential performer, then having him among substitutes might prove valuable.

However, currently I believe he represents the solution in the number fifteen position, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge the English defensive line, so it has remain impenetrable.

It is a position requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

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

I find it difficult to identify the benefit of playing him in that position.

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

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

Smith possesses the capacity executing the correct choices during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something you can really taught.

I remember as he received the ball during one phase within his territory and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

But in those milliseconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying the screw.

That's the sort of playmaking that wins championships while claiming global tournaments.

All-round Ability

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

I want to see him receiving the chance to show this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, especially at domestic matches repeatedly consistently.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round performer.

Defensive System

It also means there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is somewhat reserved.

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

Numerous factors that go on behind closed doors, however the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take all the stress away from the national team.