🔗 Share this article

According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown that he merits the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star delivered arguably the most impressive defensive performance observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing defensive hits versus an aggressive Fiji side was impressive.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he demonstrated an excellent balance of finesse and control, and made some strong decisions when things didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

His ability to calm the team strategically and make big calls is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, the young fly-half is England's primary playmaker and deserves to start versus the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick views it similarly as well, since Smith has proven he can perform in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

George Ford began the previous weekend against Australia for leadership considerations, and part of that decision aimed at ensuring consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour of Argentina.

However, the national team's showing against Fiji was a significant improvement from the performance versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil on Saturday, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited with that win, that could have been more comprehensive considering how off the pace the Australians were.

The Fijian team, on the other hand, were much more dangerous and presented a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong position as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be regarded as an option when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He is developing as a player while beginning to find his feet, though he 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 importance of having individuals who can make a real impact from the bench.

That kind of presence can be the deciding factor between winning a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the match unfold from the bench and thinks about how to create a difference upon entering.

His choices and error rate have improved substantially from his initial career.

Role Discussion

If we can get Smith to be that kind of impactful player, including him in the backfield might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, currently I don't think Marcus is the answer at full-back, so that is a position that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand are likely to punt to challenge the English defensive line, so it has to be impenetrable.

It is a position that needs to become a genuine asset, in defense and in terms of the counter-attack threat.

Right now, I believe Marcus functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I find it difficult to see the benefit fielding him in that position.

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

Natural Instincts

Clearly there exist numerous similarities between Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts are not something you can really coach.

I remember when he got the ball during one phase within his own half appearing that opportunity existed on if they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he thought they needed reversing the opposition as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents and turn the screw.

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

All-round Ability

He also has composure under pressure directing the players around him, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve as primary option.

I hope to witness him given the chance demonstrating that at the highest level next week, just as we have seen George Ford accomplish, particularly during domestic matches repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford also stood up during challenging situations, where historically 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 defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the more complete all-round performer.

Defensive System

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

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

There are so many considerations occurring privately, but whichever way the management decide to go, it will give New Zealand problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative against the All Blacks, when attention concentrated solely on picking the right player.

This time, whichever fly-half selected will pressure the All Blacks under real pressure.

Fin's ability selecting the right kick while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from the national team.