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In expert analysis, Fin Smith has shown why he deserves the starting position as England's fly-half against New Zealand on Saturday.

Fin Smith delivered without doubt the best defensive performance we have seen by an English playmaker in several years.

His courageous approach through regularly completing defensive hits versus an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and composure, while executing some strong choices when things didn't proceed as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

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

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

I think head coach the England coach sees it similarly too, since Smith has proven his capability in big international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity and reward his form during the visit of Argentina.

However, the national team's performance versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia were defeated in Italy last weekend, so we should avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

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

Long-term Potential

Fin Smith is still only 23 - looking ahead 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him while providing backup, I believe Fin will be in an excellent place in his career.

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

He's progressing in his career and is starting to find his feet, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the significance of possessing individuals who can make a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament from failure.

McKenzie watches the match unfold from the bench while considering about how to create an impact upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced substantially from his initial career.

Role Discussion

Should we develop Marcus as such type of impactful player, including him among substitutes might prove beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I believe he is the answer at full-back, making it a position remaining up for grabs.

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

It is a position requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I don't think Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the benefit fielding him there.

I want possession under his control as much as possible, but I believe this should occur among starters, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously a lot of similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

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

I recall when he got possession at one stage within his territory and it looked that opportunity existed should they swung it wide.

But in those split-seconds he thought the team required to turn Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying the screw.

That's the sort of fly-half play securing titles while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure to organise the players around him, and the understanding that he doesn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him given the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest level next week, similar to George Ford do, especially at club level repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, the experienced fly-half similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, where historically you could argue occasions existed he has not quite delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe England possesses two fly-halves capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defence on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded all-round player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to modify your defensive system while fielding an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is somewhat passive.

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

There are so many considerations that go on privately, however the management choose to proceed, it will give the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the right player.

On this occasion, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress off England.