Why England's Rising Star Represents England's Number One Playmaker

According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has demonstrated why he deserves the first-choice spot for the national team's fly-half against New Zealand this weekend.

The Northampton Saints star produced arguably the best defensive display observed by an English fly-half for quite some time.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles versus a physical Fijian team was impressive.

His game management was also immense - he showed an excellent balance of finesse and composure, and made some strong decisions when things were not going as expected in the first half.

Tackling Prowess and Strategic Command

His capacity to settle the team strategically while making big calls represents an aspect he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, the young fly-half represents England's primary fly-half and he should start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

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

Squad Decisions Amid Rivalry

The experienced fly-half started last Saturday against Australia for leadership considerations, and part of that decision was to provide consistency while acknowledging his form from the tour of Argentina.

But England's performance versus the Pacific Islanders represented a marked step up compared to the display versus the Wallabies.

Australia lost on Italian soil last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming too carried away with that win, which should have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace the Australians performed.

Fiji, by contrast, were much more threatening while offering a much more difficult challenge.

Future Prospects

The young playmaker remains just twenty-three - looking ahead 24 months, with Ford pushing him while providing backup, I think Fin will be in a very strong place in his career.

The Harlequins star must also be considered as an option at the right time and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player while beginning to find his feet, but he also needs the freedom to demonstrate his distinctive qualities.

Bench Impact

The All Blacks brought on their impact player, who scored the decisive try defeating Scotland, demonstrating the significance of having individuals capable of creating genuine influence from the bench.

Such type of presence can be the deciding factor between winning the global tournament or not.

McKenzie observes the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create an impact upon entering.

His choices and mistake frequency have enhanced significantly since his early career.

Positional Debate

Should we develop Smith as such type influential performer, then having him in the backfield might prove beneficial.

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

The All Blacks will kick testing England's defensive line, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

This role requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively and in terms of the counter-attack danger.

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

I struggle to see the benefit fielding him in that position.

I prefer possession under his control frequently, but I believe that should be among starters, particularly during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

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

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

I remember when he got the ball during one phase just inside his own half appearing like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these split-seconds he thought the team required to turn the opposition as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked to pressure the opponents applying pressure.

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

Complete Package

He additionally possesses composure under pressure to organise teammates around him, and the understanding that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I want to see him receiving the opportunity demonstrating that at the highest level next week, similar to the veteran do, especially at domestic matches week in consistently.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up during challenging situations, where historically one might suggest there have been times where he didn't fully done so in the very highest-pressure matches.

I believe we have playmaking options capable of performing the role, though Smith's defence combined with additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded versatile performer.

Defensive System

This also indicates there's no need to adjust your defensive system while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker position, rather than an individual being a little more passive.

You could also present compelling arguments favoring Ford beginning with Smith entering from substitution.

Numerous factors occurring privately, however the coaches decide to go, this will present the opponents problems.

This hasn't consistently represented the narrative facing New Zealand, when attention concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

This time, whichever fly-half they choose can put New Zealand significantly.

Fin's ability selecting optimal kicks while delivering for a potential 50-20 might relieve all the stress away from England.