Tri Nations: How many All Blacks make up the Team of the Tournament?

OPINION: The Tri Nations concluded on Saturday with a 16-16 draw between the Wallabies and Los Pumas to ensure that the All Blacks won the shortened tournament.

The All Blacks’ record of two wins and two losses reflected the stiffness of the competition, however, with a 25-15 loss to Argentina highlighting some areas of vulnerability.

A huge win against a weakened Argentine team ensured the All Blacks finished on a high note, but they certainly did not dominate against teams ranked No. 6 and No. 8 in the world.

Here it is ThingsTeam of the Three Nations.

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15 Beauden Barrett (All Blacks): The jury could still be out on the dual playmaker system, but Barrett had good games in wins against Australia and Argentina and gets the nod in a close race with Santiago Carreras.

14 Bautista Delguy (Argentina): The elusive wing finished his tournament with a great try against the Wallabies and frequently beat the first defender with his footwork.

13 Matias Orlando (Argentina): The stone in the midfield of the Pumas. It was missing when the All Blacks defeated the South Americans 38-0, which is probably not a coincidence.

12 Anton Lienert-Brown (All Blacks): He played the tournament at number 13 but is too good to be left out due to his consistency.

11 Caleb Clarke (All Blacks): He enjoyed an exceptional rookie season in test rugby and consistently fueled the All Blacks with his carries.

10 Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina): He has never played better. The number 10 looked fit, focused and in control as he led the Pumas through the paddock and did his part on defense. He scored all 25 points in the victory against the All Blacks.

9 Aaron Smith (All Blacks): The absence was deeply felt when the All Blacks lost to the Wallabies in Brisbane and looked good when the forwards provided the right platform.

8 Ardie Savea (All Blacks): He finished strong with a great performance against Argentina that demonstrated his rare athleticism and sheer determination.

7 Sam Cane (All Blacks): Probably the best All Blacks player this year. As tough as they come and they certainly learned some lessons as captain when the All Blacks were under pressure after two losses in a row.

6 Marcos Kremer (Argentina): The iron man of the Los Pumas squad, giving them a massive physical presence in the blindside position.

5 Matt Philip (Australia): A bit of a surprise package that performed well in Super Rugby AU but took a big step forward in the Tri Nations. Helped give the Wallabies some steel.

4 Matías Alemanno (Argentina): What a defender. Very few were happy to attack the Los Pumas group when Alemanno and company set up a brick wall. Another key player who missed the loss to the All Blacks.

3 Taniela Tupou (Australia): The raw power of the pillar was something to behold and the All Blacks battled him in the second half in Brisbane. A real weapon from the bench.

2 Dane Coles (All Blacks): Discipline let him down against Argentina but there is no doubt that he re-established himself as their best hooker. His launch at the lineout is unmatched.

1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Argentina): The Los Pumas scrum deteriorated noticeably when the veteran was not in the paddock. A workhorse far from the set-piece too.