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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position for the national team's number ten against the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive display observed from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of skill and control, and made some strong decisions during moments were not going as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the squad strategically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's number one playmaker and he should begin versus the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach the England coach sees it similarly too, since Smith has proven he can perform in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that decision was to provide continuity and reward his performance during the visit to South America.

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

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been more comprehensive given how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, were much more dangerous and presented a far tougher test.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only 23 - projecting forward two years, with Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent position in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as an option when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who scored the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of player can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game unfold from the bench and thinks about how he can make an impact upon entering.

His choices and error rate have enhanced significantly since his early career.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as that kind influential player, then having him in the backfield could be valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, making it a role that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick to challenge England's backfield, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

It is a position that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

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

I struggle to identify the advantage of playing him there.

I want the ball under his control as much as possible, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make right decisions under pressure - his instincts are not something that can be taught.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half and it looked that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he calculated the team required to turn the opposition as we are leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying pressure.

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

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure directing the players around him, and the understanding that he mustn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I want to see him given the opportunity to show this at elite level next week, similar to George Ford accomplish, especially at club level week in consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think we have playmaking options who can do the job, but with Fin's defensive work on top of everything else, it makes him the more complete all-round player.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust the defensive structure when you have an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches decide to go, this will present New Zealand problems.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker selected can put New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability selecting the right kick and execute enabling possible territorial gains can take pressure off England.