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In expert analysis, the young playmaker has demonstrated that he merits the starting position as England's fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the most impressive defensive performance we have seen from an England playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles against an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control was also immense - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and composure, while executing some strong choices during moments didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence Coupled with Tactical Leadership

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

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's primary fly-half and he should begin against the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way too, since Smith has proven he can perform in big Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

George Ford started the previous weekend against Australia for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity and reward 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 against Australia.

Australia were defeated in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been more comprehensive given how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, by contrast, proved significantly dangerous and presented a far tougher test.

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I believe Fin will be in a very strong position in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as a possibility at the right time and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive qualities.

Bench Impact

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning score to beat the Scottish team, demonstrating the importance of having players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of presence can be the difference separating victory a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie watches the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

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

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus to be such type influential player, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

However, at the moment I don't think he represents the solution in the number fifteen position, making it a role remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand are likely to punt testing the English backfield, so it has remain watertight.

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

Right now, I don't think Marcus is a full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, especially during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the ability executing right decisions during tense moments - his natural reactions represent traits you can really taught.

I recall as he received possession at one stage within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed on if they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he calculated the team required to turn Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin them back applying pressure.

That's the sort of playmaking that wins titles and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise the players nearby, while recognizing that he mustn't always need to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him given the chance to show this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during club level repeatedly and week out.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up during challenging circumstances, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure games.

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

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to adjust your defensive system while fielding someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, instead of an individual being somewhat reserved.

One might make a strong case favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many considerations occurring privately, however the coaches choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on picking the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker they choose can put New Zealand significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible territorial gains might relieve all the stress off England.