Why England's Rising Star Is England's Number One Fly-Half

In expert analysis, Fin Smith has shown that he merits the starting position for the national team's fly-half against the All Blacks this weekend.

Fin Smith produced arguably the best defensive performance observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles versus a physical Fiji side stood out remarkably.

His game management was also immense - he showed an excellent balance of skill and control, while executing some strong decisions when things were not going to plan during the opening period.

Tackling Prowess Coupled with Tactical Command

His capacity to calm the squad strategically while making important decisions is something he has truly mastered.

From my perspective, the young fly-half represents England's number one fly-half and he should start versus the All Blacks next week.

I think the manager the England coach views it that way too, because Fin has proven his capability in big Test matches.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half began the previous weekend versus the Wallabies for leadership reasons, with some aspect of that choice was to provide continuity while acknowledging his form during the visit to South America.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance against Australia.

The Wallabies were defeated on Italian soil on Saturday, so we should not get too carried away about that victory, which should have been by a larger margin considering how below par Australia performed.

The Fijian team, by contrast, proved significantly threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker is still only twenty-three - projecting forward two years, with Ford pushing him but also offering backup, I believe Smith will find himself in a very strong position as a player.

The Harlequins star also has to be considered as a possibility when appropriate and against the right opposition.

He is developing as a player and is starting to find his feet, though he needs the freedom to show his distinctive qualities.

Substitute Influence

New Zealand introduced their impact player, who registered the match-winning try to beat Scotland, demonstrating the importance of possessing individuals capable of creating a real impact as substitutes.

That kind of player might represent the difference separating victory a World Cup or not.

McKenzie watches the game unfold while substituted and thinks regarding ways to create an impact when he comes on.

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

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith as such type influential player, including him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

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

The All Blacks will kick testing England's backfield, so it has to be impenetrable.

This role that needs to become a real strength, in defense and in terms offensive transitions threat.

Currently, I don't think Smith functions as full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the benefit of playing him there.

I want possession in his hands frequently, but I believe that should be in the front line, particularly in the final 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous similarities between Ford with Smith.

Smith possesses the capacity executing right decisions during tense moments - his natural reactions are not something you can really coach.

I recall when he got possession at one stage within his own half appearing like it could be should they spread play.

But in those milliseconds he thought the team required reversing Fiji round as we are leading points-wise, therefore he punted it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

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

All-round Ability

He additionally possesses that calmness under pressure directing the players around him, and the understanding that he mustn't always need to be the first option.

I want to see him receiving the chance demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen the veteran accomplish, especially at club level repeatedly and week out.

During the South American tour, Ford similarly excelled during challenging situations, previously you could argue there have been times where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure games.

I believe we have playmaking options who can do the job, though Smith's defence combined with additional qualities, establishes him as the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means you don't have to adjust your defensive system when you have an assertive player in the fly-half position, instead of someone who is a little more reserved.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith entering from the bench.

There are so many factors that go on behind closed doors, however the management decide to go, this will present New Zealand difficulties.

This hasn't consistently represented the situation facing New Zealand, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose will pressure New Zealand significantly.

Smith's capacity to pick the right kick while delivering for a potential territorial gains might relieve pressure off the national team.