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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the first-choice spot as England's number ten against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive performance observed from an England fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making defensive hits against an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and composure, and made several crucial choices during moments were not going as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the squad tactically and make important decisions is something he has really mastered.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and he should start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe the manager Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, because Fin has proven his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil last weekend, so we should not get overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more dangerous and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just twenty-three - looking ahead two years, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong place in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be regarded as an option at the right time and against the right opposition.

He's progressing in his career and is starting to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of possessing players who can make genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of presence might represent the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the game unfold from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced significantly since his early career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Marcus to be such type influential player, including him among substitutes might prove valuable.

However, currently I don't think he represents the solution at full-back, making it a role remaining up for grabs.

New Zealand will kick testing England's defensive line, therefore it must remain watertight.

This role that needs to become a real strength, in defense while regarding of the counter-attack threat.

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

I struggle to identify the advantage fielding him there.

I want possession in his hands frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, especially in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

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

Fin has the capacity to make the correct choices under pressure - his natural reactions are not something that can be taught.

I recall when he got the ball at one stage within his territory and it looked like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted it to pin them back and turn the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure directing teammates around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating this at elite level next week, similar to the veteran do, especially at club level week in and week out.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully done so during extremely tense games.

I believe we have two fly-halves who can do the role, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to adjust your defensive system while fielding someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, rather than someone who is a little more passive.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting with Smith coming off substitution.

Numerous factors occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the management decide to go, this will present the opponents difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible territorial gains can take all the stress away from England.