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In expert analysis, Fin Smith has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's number ten against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive display observed by an English playmaker for quite some time.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of skill and composure, and made some strong decisions when things didn't proceed as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Leadership

His ability to calm the squad strategically while making important decisions represents an aspect he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and deserves to begin against the All Blacks this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach sees it that way too, because Fin has demonstrated his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his performance during the visit to South America.

However, the national team's performance against Fiji represented a marked improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated in Italy on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away with that win, that could have been more comprehensive given how below par Australia were.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a far tougher test.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - projecting forward two years, alongside Ford challenging him while providing backup, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong place in his career.

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

He is developing in his career while beginning to find his feet, though he requires liberty to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the match-winning try to beat Scotland, and that shows the significance of having individuals capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of presence can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

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

His decision-making and error rate have improved significantly from his initial career.

Role Discussion

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

Nonetheless, at the moment I believe he represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a role remaining up for grabs.

The All Blacks are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, so it has to be watertight.

This role requiring transforming into a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

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

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

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

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford with Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make the correct decisions under pressure - his instincts represent traits you can really coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half appearing that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin them back applying the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has composure during intensity to organise teammates nearby, and the understanding that he mustn't always need to be the first receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran accomplish, especially at club level repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled in difficult circumstances, where historically one might suggest occasions existed he has not quite done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, though Smith's defence combined with everything else, it makes him the more complete versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more passive.

One might make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off the bench.

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches decide to go, this will present the opponents difficulties.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the optimal individual.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half selected can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve all the stress away from England.