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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position as England's number ten versus New Zealand on Saturday.

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

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

His game management was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of skill and control, and made some strong decisions during moments were not going as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His capacity to settle the squad strategically and make important decisions is something he has truly nailed.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's primary fly-half and deserves to begin against the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach the England coach sees it that way too, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday versus the Wallabies for leadership considerations, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's showing against Fiji was a significant step up compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil last weekend, so we should avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace the Australians were.

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

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing support, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong place as a player.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as an option when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the importance of possessing players capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

Such type of player might represent the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match develop while substituted while considering regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have improved significantly since his early career.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Smith to be such type influential player, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe Marcus represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must remain watertight.

It is a position requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

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

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I prefer the ball in his hands frequently, but I believe this should occur among starters, particularly during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make right choices under pressure - his instincts are not something you can really taught.

I recall as he received possession at one stage within his own half appearing that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he calculated they needed reversing the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure them back and turn the screw.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing titles while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

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

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating this at elite level next week, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite done so during extremely tense matches.

I think England possesses two fly-halves capable of performing the role, but with Fin's defence on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, rather than an individual being somewhat reserved.

You could also make a strong case favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many factors occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on picking the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half selected can put the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick while delivering enabling possible territorial gains can take pressure off England.