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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position as England's number ten against the All Blacks this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles versus a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of skill and control, and made some strong choices when things were not going as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to calm the squad strategically and make big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, the young fly-half represents England's number one fly-half and he should begin against New Zealand next week.

I think the manager the England coach views it that way as well, because Fin has proven his capability in big international games.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday against Australia for leadership considerations, with some aspect of that decision aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour to South America.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

Australia lost in Italy on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace the Australians performed.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more threatening while offering a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford challenging him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong position in his career.

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

He's progressing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to show his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having players who can make a real impact as substitutes.

Such type of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match unfold while substituted and thinks about how to create an impact when he comes on.

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

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as such type of impactful performer, including him in the backfield could be valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

It is a position that needs to become a genuine asset, in defense and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

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

I struggle to identify the benefit fielding 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

Clearly there exist a lot of parallels between Ford with Smith.

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

I recall as he received the ball during one phase just inside his territory appearing like it could be on if they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure them back and turn the screw.

That's the sort of playmaking securing championships and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest standards soon, similar to George Ford accomplish, particularly during club level repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defensive work combined with everything else, establishes him as the more complete versatile performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates you don't have to adjust the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive in the fly-half position, rather than an individual being somewhat reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

Numerous factors occurring privately, however the management decide to go, this will present the opponents difficulties.

That has not always been the situation against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the right player.

This time, either playmaker selected can put the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve pressure off the national team.