How many ABS made team of the tournament?
The Tri-nations wrapped up on Saturday with a 16-16 draw between the Wallabies and Los Pumas to guarantee that the All Blacks won the abbreviated tournament.
The All Blacks’ record of two wins and two losses reflected the tightness of the competition, however, with a 25-15 defeat to Argentina highlighting some areas of vulnerability.
A big win against aweakened Argentine sidemade sure the All Blacks finished on a high note, but the All Blacks certainly didn’t dominate against the sides rankedno 6 andno 8 in the world.
Here is Stuff’s Team of the TriNations. 15 Beauden Barrett (All Blacks): The jury might still be out on the dual playmaker system but Barrett had good games in the wins against Australia and Argentina and gets the nod in a close race with Santiago Carreras. 14 Bautista Delguy (Argentina): Elusive wing finished off his tournament with a great try against the Wallabies and frequently beat the first defender with his footwork. 13 Matias Orlando (Argentina): The rock in the Pumas’ midfield. He was missing when the All Blacks beat the South Americans 38-0, which is probably no coincidence. 12 Anton Lienert-brown (All Blacks): Played the tournament at No 13 but is too good to leave out due to his consistency. 11 Caleb Clarke (All Blacks): Enjoyed an exceptional rookie season in test rugby and consistently gave the All Blacks momentumwith his carries. 10 Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina): Has never played better. The No 10 looked fit, focused and in control as he led the Pumas around the paddock and did his bit on defence. Scored all 25 points in the win against the All Blacks. 9Aaron Smith (All Blacks):
His absence was keenly felt when the All Blacks lost to the Wallabies in Brisbane and looked
sharpwhen the forwards supplied the right platform. 8Ardie Savea (All Blacks): Finished strongly with a big performance against Argentina that demonstrated his rare athletic gifts and sheer determination. 7 Sam Cane (All Blacks):
Probably the All Blacks’ best player this year. As tough as they come and undoubtedly learnt some lessons as a captain when the All Blacks were under the pump after two losses in a row. 6Marcoskremer
(Argentina): The iron man of