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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the first-choice spot for the national team's number ten versus New Zealand on Saturday.

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

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and control, while executing some strong choices when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His ability to settle the team strategically while making big calls is something he has truly mastered.

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

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick views it similarly as well, since Smith has proven he can perform during important Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, and part of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity while acknowledging his form from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, so we should not get overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace Australia were.

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

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering support, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong place in his career.

The Harlequins star must also be regarded as an option at the right time and against the right opposition.

He is developing in his career while beginning to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having individuals who can make genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of player might represent the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament or not.

McKenzie watches the match unfold from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced substantially from his initial professional days.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Smith as that kind of impactful player, then having him among substitutes could be valuable.

However, at the moment I believe he represents the solution at full-back, so that is a role that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

It is a position requiring 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 in top-tier rugby.

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

I want the ball under his control as much as possible, though I think this should occur in the front line, particularly during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

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

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

I recall when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

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

Complete Package

He additionally possesses composure during intensity directing the players around him, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary receiver.

I want to see him given the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran do, especially at club level week in and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled in difficult circumstances, previously you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the job, though Smith's defensive work on top of additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half channel, rather than an individual being a little more passive.

You could also make a strong case favoring Ford beginning with Smith entering from the bench.

Numerous factors that go on privately, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

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

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks and execute enabling possible territorial gains can take pressure away from the national team.