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In expert analysis, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced without doubt the best defensive display we have seen from an England fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and composure, and made some strong decisions during moments were not going to plan during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

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

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's primary playmaker and he should begin against the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick sees it that way too, because Fin has demonstrated his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour to South America.

However, the national team's showing versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away with that win, which should have been more comprehensive given how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more dangerous while offering a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith remains just 23 - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position as a player.

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

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, though he requires liberty to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the significance of possessing players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

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

McKenzie watches the match develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith to be such type of impactful performer, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a role that is still unclaimed.

The All Blacks will kick to challenge England's backfield, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

This role requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

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

I find it difficult to see the advantage of playing him in that position.

I prefer possession under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur in the front line, particularly in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist a lot of similarities between Ford with Smith.

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

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

But in those milliseconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round since England were up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted to pressure them back and turn the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing titles and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He also has composure under pressure to organise teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't always need to be the first receiver.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite level next week, just as we have seen George Ford do, particularly during club level week in and week out.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled in difficult circumstances, previously you could argue occasions existed he has not quite done so during extremely tense games.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves who can do the role, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to modify the defensive structure while fielding someone aggressive in the fly-half channel, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting with Smith entering from the bench.

Numerous factors occurring privately, however the management choose to proceed, this will present the opponents difficulties.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose can put the All Blacks significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick and execute for a potential 50-20 can take pressure off the national team.