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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the starting position for the national team's fly-half against the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered without doubt the most impressive defensive display observed from an England playmaker in several years.

His courageous approach through regularly completing defensive hits against an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, while executing several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

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

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's primary fly-half and deserves to begin versus New Zealand next week.

I think the manager Steve Borthwick views it similarly as well, since Smith has proven his capability during important international games.

Team Selection and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his performance during the visit to South America.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement compared to the display against Australia.

The Wallabies lost in Italy on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par the Australians were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening and presented a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I believe 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 versus the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try defeating the Scottish team, demonstrating the significance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of presence might represent the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament or not.

McKenzie observes the match unfold from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved significantly since his early career.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Marcus as such type of impactful player, then having him in the backfield might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe he is the answer at full-back, making it a role that is still up for grabs.

The All Blacks will kick testing England's backfield, therefore it must remain watertight.

This role requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions danger.

Right now, I don't think Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to see the advantage fielding him in that position.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, but I believe that should be in the front line, particularly during the last quarter.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously a lot of similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity to make right decisions during tense moments - his instincts are not something that can be coach.

I recall as he received the ball at one stage just inside his territory appearing that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he calculated the team required reversing the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked it to pin them back applying pressure.

This represents the type of playmaking that wins championships and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness under pressure to organise the players nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I want to see him receiving the chance to show that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates there's no need to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of an individual being a little more passive.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning with Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many factors that go on behind closed doors, however the management decide to go, it will give New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

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

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick and execute for a potential territorial gains can take pressure away from England.