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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's number ten versus the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive performance we have seen by an English fly-half in several years.

His courageous approach through regularly completing defensive hits against an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made some strong decisions when things didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to calm the team tactically and make important decisions is something he has truly nailed.

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

I believe the manager the England coach views it that way as well, since Smith has demonstrated he can perform in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

The Wallabies lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin considering how below par the Australians were.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous and presented a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just 23 - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place in his career.

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

He is developing in his career while beginning to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced their impact player, who scored the decisive try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having players who can make a real impact from the bench.

That kind of presence can be the difference separating victory the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie observes the game unfold from the bench while considering regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as such type of impactful player, including him among substitutes could be beneficial.

However, currently I don't think Marcus represents the solution at full-back, so that is a role remaining up for grabs.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

It is a position that needs transforming into a genuine asset, in defense while regarding offensive transitions threat.

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

I find it difficult to identify the advantage of playing him there.

I prefer the ball in his hands frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

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

I remember when he got possession at one stage just inside his own half appearing like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he calculated they needed reversing Fiji round since England were leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents and turn the screw.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins titles while claiming World Cups.

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness during intensity to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need as primary option.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity to show that at the highest level next week, similar to George Ford do, particularly during club level week in consistently.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the job, though Smith's defence on top of everything else, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to modify the defensive structure when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, instead of someone who is somewhat passive.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, however the coaches decide to go, it will give the opponents problems.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick and execute enabling possible 50-20 can take all the stress away from the national team.