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

Fin Smith delivered arguably the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half for quite some time.

His courageous approach through regularly completing his tackles against an aggressive Fijian team was impressive.

His tactical control was also immense - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and composure, while executing some strong decisions when things were not going as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

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

From my perspective, the young fly-half represents England's primary playmaker and he should begin versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I think the manager the England coach views it similarly too, because Fin has proven he can perform during important international games.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice was to provide consistency and reward his form from the tour of Argentina.

But England's performance against Fiji represented a marked improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should avoid becoming too carried away with that win, which should have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace Australia performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, proved significantly dangerous and presented a far tougher challenge.

Long-term Potential

The young playmaker remains just 23 - looking ahead two years, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I think Fin will be in a very strong position in his career.

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

He is developing in his career and is starting to establish himself, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his unique attributes.

Bench Impact

New Zealand introduced Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive score to beat the Scottish team, and that shows the significance of having players capable of creating genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of player can be the deciding factor separating victory the global tournament from failure.

The All Blacks substitute watches the game develop from the bench while considering regarding ways he can make an impact upon entering.

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

Positional Debate

If we can get Marcus as that kind of impactful performer, then having him in the backfield could be valuable.

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

New Zealand will kick to challenge England's defensive line, therefore it must to be impenetrable.

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

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

I struggle to identify the advantage fielding him in that position.

I prefer the ball in his hands as much as possible, but I believe this should occur in the front line, particularly in the final quarter.

Innate Qualities

Clearly there exist numerous similarities comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability executing the correct decisions under pressure - his natural reactions represent traits that can be taught.

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

However during these milliseconds he thought they needed to turn Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted to pressure them back and turn the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has that calmness during intensity directing the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't constantly serve as primary receiver.

I hope to witness him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, similar to George Ford accomplish, particularly during domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, the experienced fly-half also stood up in difficult situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think England possesses playmaking options who can do the role, though Smith's defence on top of additional qualities, it makes him the more complete all-round performer.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to modify the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, rather than someone who is a little more reserved.

You could also present compelling arguments for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from substitution.

There are so many considerations occurring behind closed doors, but whichever way the coaches choose to proceed, this will present New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half selected can put New Zealand under real pressure.

Smith's capacity to pick optimal kicks while delivering enabling possible 50-20 might relieve pressure away from England.