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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half versus New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced without doubt the best defensive performance 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 stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of finesse and composure, and made several crucial decisions during moments didn't proceed to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to calm the squad tactically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's primary fly-half and he should start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach the England coach views it similarly too, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision aimed at ensuring consistency and reward his form from the tour to South America.

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

The Wallabies lost in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must not get overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin given how below par Australia performed.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a far tougher test.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only 23 - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent position in his career.

Marcus Smith must also be considered as a possibility when appropriate and versus the right opposition.

He's progressing as a player while beginning to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive attributes.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who registered the decisive try defeating Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing players who can make a real impact from the bench.

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

McKenzie observes the match develop while substituted while considering regarding ways he can make a difference upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced significantly since his early career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Smith as such type of impactful performer, then having him in the backfield could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I don't think he is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing England's backfield, therefore it must remain watertight.

It is a position that needs to become a genuine asset, in defense and in terms offensive transitions threat.

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

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

I prefer the ball in his hands frequently, but I believe this should occur in the front line, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

Fin has the ability executing right choices during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something that can be coach.

I recall as he received the ball at one stage within his own half and it looked that opportunity existed should they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin them back and turn the screw.

This represents the type of fly-half play that wins championships and wins global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has that calmness during intensity to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he doesn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I want to see him given the opportunity to show this at elite standards soon, similar to the veteran do, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up in difficult circumstances, where historically you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work on top of additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded all-round player.

Defensive System

This also indicates you don't have to modify your defensive system when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker channel, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

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

Numerous factors that go on privately, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, it will give New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative against the All Blacks, when attention was simply on selecting the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose can put the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability selecting the right kick and execute enabling possible 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from England.