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In expert analysis, Fin Smith has shown why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's fly-half against the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced arguably the most impressive defensive performance observed by an English playmaker in several years.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles against an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made several crucial decisions when things didn't proceed as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Command

His ability to settle the squad tactically while making important decisions is something he has really nailed.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's primary playmaker and he should start against the All Blacks this weekend.

I believe head coach Steve Borthwick views it that way as well, because Fin has proven he can perform in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford started last Saturday against Australia for leadership considerations, and part of that decision was to provide consistency and reward his form during the visit to South America.

However, the national team's showing versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked improvement compared to the display against Australia.

Australia lost in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how below par the Australians performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford challenging him while providing backup, I think Fin will be in an excellent position in his career.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as a possibility at the right time and against the right opposition.

He is developing as a player and is starting to establish himself, though he requires liberty to show his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks introduced Damian McKenzie, who scored the match-winning try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the importance of having individuals who can make genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of player can be the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup from failure.

The All Blacks substitute observes the match develop while substituted and thinks about how to create a difference when he comes on.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced substantially from his initial professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Marcus as that kind influential performer, then having him among substitutes could be beneficial.

Nonetheless, currently I believe Marcus represents the solution in the number fifteen position, so that is a position that is still unclaimed.

New Zealand will kick testing the English defensive line, so it has remain watertight.

It is a position requiring to become a real strength, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

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

I struggle to see the advantage of playing him there.

I want possession in his hands as much as possible, though I think that should be in the front line, particularly during the last quarter.

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist a lot of parallels between Ford with Smith.

Fin has the ability executing right decisions under pressure - his instincts represent traits that can be coach.

I remember when he got the ball at one stage just inside his territory appearing that opportunity existed on if they spread play.

However during these split-seconds he thought they needed to turn Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

This represents the type of fly-half play securing championships and wins World Cups.

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure to organise the players nearby, and the understanding that he doesn't always need as primary option.

I hope to witness him receiving the chance to show that at the highest standards soon, similar to George Ford do, especially at domestic matches week in and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully delivered during extremely tense games.

I believe we have two fly-halves capable of performing the job, but with Fin's defensive work combined with everything else, it makes him the more complete versatile performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half channel, instead of someone who is a little more reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many considerations that go on behind closed doors, however the coaches choose to proceed, this will present the opponents problems.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus was simply on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, either playmaker they choose can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks and execute for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress off the national team.