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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown why he deserves the starting position for the national team's number ten versus New Zealand on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered arguably the most impressive defensive performance observed from an England playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, and made some strong choices during moments didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to settle the team strategically and make big calls is something he has really mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's number one playmaker and deserves to begin against New Zealand next week.

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

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, and part of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour to South America.

But England's showing against Fiji was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace Australia performed.

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

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith remains just twenty-three - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I think Fin will be in a very strong place in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as an option at the right time and against suitable opponents.

He is developing in his career and is starting to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning try defeating the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having individuals who can make a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute observes the game develop from the bench and thinks about how to create an impact upon entering.

His choices and error rate have enhanced significantly from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

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

However, at the moment I believe Marcus represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

This role that needs transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I don't think Smith functions as full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to see the advantage of playing him in that position.

I prefer possession in his hands frequently, though I think that should be among starters, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist a lot of similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts represent traits that can be taught.

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

But in those milliseconds he calculated they needed to turn Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying the screw.

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

Complete Package

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise the players nearby, and the understanding that he doesn't always need to be the first option.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, especially at club level week in consistently.

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

I think we have playmaking options who can do the job, but with Fin's defence combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Defensive System

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive in the fly-half channel, rather than an individual being a little more passive.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

Numerous factors that go on privately, however the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose can put New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability to pick the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains can take all the stress off England.