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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position for the national team's number ten against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced arguably the most impressive defensive performance observed by an English fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fiji side was impressive.

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

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to calm the team tactically and make big calls is something he has really mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith represents England's primary playmaker and he should start versus the All Blacks next week.

I think the manager Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, since Smith has proven he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his performance during the visit of Argentina.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must not get too carried away with that win, that could have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, by contrast, proved significantly threatening while offering a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only twenty-three - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in an excellent place as a player.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as a possibility when appropriate and against suitable opponents.

He's progressing in his career while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to show his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who registered the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

That kind of presence can be the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game unfold while substituted while considering regarding ways to create a difference when he comes on.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus to be such type of impactful performer, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I believe he represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a position remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick testing the English backfield, therefore it must remain watertight.

This role that needs transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I don't think Marcus is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to see the advantage fielding him there.

I prefer possession under his control frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, especially in the final quarter.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously numerous parallels between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity executing the correct decisions during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits that can be coach.

I remember when he got possession during one phase within his own half and it looked like it could be on if they swung it wide.

But in those milliseconds he thought they needed to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying pressure.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show this at elite level next week, similar to the veteran accomplish, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically you could argue there have been times he has not quite delivered 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, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to modify your defensive system when you have someone aggressive in the fly-half channel, rather than someone who is a little more reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith coming off substitution.

Numerous factors that go on behind closed doors, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, when attention was simply on picking the right player.

This time, either playmaker they choose can put the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability selecting the right kick and execute for a potential 50-20 can take pressure away from the national team.