The Reasons England's Rising Star Is The National Team's Number One Playmaker

According to rugby specialists, Fin Smith has demonstrated that he merits the first-choice spot for the national team's fly-half versus New Zealand on Saturday.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive display we have seen by an English fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up by consistently making his tackles versus a physical Fiji side was impressive.

His game management proved exceptional - he demonstrated a perfect blend of skill and control, while executing some strong decisions during moments didn't proceed as expected during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Leadership

His ability to calm the squad strategically while making important decisions represents an aspect he has truly nailed.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's primary playmaker and deserves to start versus the All Blacks next week.

I think head coach the England coach sees it that way as well, since Smith has proven his capability in big Test matches.

Team Selection Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend versus the Wallabies due to captaincy considerations, with some aspect of that choice aimed at ensuring continuity and reward his form during the visit to South America.

However, the national team's performance against Fiji represented a marked improvement compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost in Italy last weekend, therefore we must not get too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin given how off the pace Australia performed.

The Fijian team, by contrast, were much more dangerous while offering a far tougher test.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford pushing him while providing backup, I believe Smith will find himself in an excellent place in his career.

The Harlequins star also has to be considered as an option when appropriate and against suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player while beginning to establish himself, but he also requires liberty to demonstrate his unique qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand brought on Damian McKenzie, who registered the decisive try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the importance of possessing individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

That kind of presence might represent the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

The All Blacks substitute watches the match unfold from the bench and thinks about how to create an impact when he comes on.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith as such type influential player, then having him among substitutes could be valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I don't think 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, so it has remain impenetrable.

This role requiring to become a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Right now, I believe Smith is a full-back at the highest level.

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him in that position.

I prefer the ball under his control frequently, though I think this should occur among starters, particularly during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

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

Smith possesses the ability executing the correct choices during tense moments - his instincts represent traits you can really taught.

I remember as he received the ball at one stage within his territory appearing like it could be on if they spread play.

But in those split-seconds he thought the team required to turn the opposition since England were leading points-wise, so he kicked it to pin the opponents and turn the screw.

This represents the type of playmaking securing championships and wins World Cups.

Complete Package

He also has composure under pressure directing the players around him, while recognizing that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at club level repeatedly consistently.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging circumstances, previously you could argue occasions existed he has not quite delivered during extremely tense games.

I think we have two fly-halves capable of performing the role, though Smith's defensive work on top of everything else, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

This also indicates you don't have to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, rather than an individual being somewhat reserved.

One might make a strong case favoring Ford beginning and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many factors that go on privately, however the management decide to go, it will give New Zealand difficulties.

That has not always been the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on picking the right player.

On this occasion, either playmaker they choose can put the All Blacks significantly.

Fin's ability to pick optimal kicks and execute for a potential 50-20 might relieve pressure away from the national team.