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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.

Fin Smith delivered arguably the most impressive defensive performance observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and composure, while executing some strong choices during moments were not going to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the squad tactically and make big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

In my opinion, the young fly-half is England's number one playmaker and he should begin versus New Zealand next week.

I believe the manager the England coach views it that way as well, because Fin has demonstrated his capability in big Test matches.

Team Selection and Competition

George Ford began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

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

Australia were defeated in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away about that victory, which should have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace the Australians were.

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

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Fin will be in a very strong place in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be regarded as a possibility at the right time and against the right opposition.

He is developing as a player and is starting to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing players who can make a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie watches the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create an impact when he comes on.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as such type influential performer, including him in the backfield could be valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I don't think Marcus represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a position remaining unclaimed.

The All Blacks are likely to punt testing the English backfield, so it has remain watertight.

It is a position requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding of the counter-attack danger.

Right now, I believe Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I want the ball under his control frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous parallels between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing right decisions under pressure - his natural reactions are not something you can really coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his territory appearing that opportunity existed on if they swung it wide.

But in those milliseconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition since England were up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents and turn pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play securing championships while claiming global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He also has composure during intensity directing teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him receiving the chance to show this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, especially at club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult circumstances, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I believe England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the role, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, establishes him as the more complete all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is somewhat reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention concentrated solely on picking the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker they choose will pressure the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from the national team.