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According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Fin Smith produced without doubt the most impressive defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits versus a physical Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of finesse and composure, and made several crucial choices when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to settle the team tactically while making important decisions is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, Fin Smith is England's number one fly-half and deserves to start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way too, because Fin has demonstrated he can perform during important Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half began last Saturday against Australia due to captaincy considerations, and part of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour to South America.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement from the performance against Australia.

Australia were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get overly excited with that win, that could have been more comprehensive given how below par Australia performed.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more dangerous and presented a much more difficult test.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - looking ahead two years, with Ford challenging him but also offering backup, I believe Fin will be in a very strong place as a player.

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

He's progressing as a player and is starting to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on their impact player, who registered the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having individuals capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of presence can be the difference between winning the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match unfold from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make an impact when he comes on.

His choices and error rate have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as that kind of impactful player, then having him among substitutes might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining unclaimed.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

It is a position requiring to become a real strength, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Currently, I don't think Marcus functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to identify the advantage fielding him there.

I want the ball in his hands frequently, though I think that should be in the front line, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Natural Instincts

There are obviously a lot of parallels between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the capacity to make the correct choices during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something you can really taught.

I remember when he got the ball at one stage within his territory and it looked like it could be should they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he thought the team required to turn the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, therefore he punted to pressure them back applying pressure.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing titles and wins global tournaments.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses composure during intensity to organise teammates around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance demonstrating this at elite level next week, just as we have seen the veteran do, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up during challenging situations, previously you could argue occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense games.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the job, but with Fin's defence on top of additional qualities, establishes him as the more complete all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to modify your defensive system when you have someone aggressive occupying the playmaker position, rather than an individual being somewhat passive.

You could also make a strong case favoring Ford beginning with Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many factors occurring privately, but whichever way the management choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention was simply on selecting the optimal individual.

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

Smith's capacity selecting the right kick and execute enabling possible territorial gains can take all the stress away from the national team.