All Blacks coach Steve Hansen will have gained plenty of valuable insight over the course of the last week as a large portion of his squad to take on the British & Irish Lions featured in New Zealand.
Before the 33-man squad was announced on Thursday, the Blues stunned the British & Irish Lions thanks in large to brilliant performances from Sonny Bill Williams and Rieko Ioane.
A third of the All Blacks squad squared off in a New Zealand derby as the Chiefs toppled the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday, before the Crusaders -- who hadn't lost a game all season -- were outmuscled by the Lions in Christchurch on Saturday.
A total of 22 All Blacks [not including the five players named as injury cover] were involved across the week. Let's rate how they got on as the Test series against the Lions draws closer.
Blues
Charlie Faumuina 7/10
Gave away the one scrum penalty in an otherwise strong game. Defended stoutly with 11 tackles and had some silky touches with ball in hand.
Rieko Ioane 9/10
Left Jack Nowell in his wake for the Blues opening try. Could've easily had a hat-trick as he caused the Lions all sorts of problems.
Ofa Tu'ungafasi 5/10
Two penalties conceded, including one that denied Ioane a try. Solid on defence but doesn't do enough to suggest inclusion in the All Blacks 23.
Sonny Bill Williams 9/10
Best performance of the season. Brilliant with ball in hand, on defence and at the breakdown. His offload game held the key to unlocking the Lions defence.
Crusaders
Wyatt Crockett 6/10
Came off the bench in the final half hour as the Crusaders replacement front-row had parity with the Lions at the scrum.
Israel Dagg 6/10
Mixed outing. Defused plenty of high balls but still looks short of a gallop having been sidelined for so long. Big boot came in handy.
Owen Franks 7/10
Powerful game, with one big shove on his side sending the Lions back-peddling at the scrum. Will want more clarity on the scrum interpretation from referee Mathieu Raynal heading into the Tests.
Joe Moody 6/10
Will be bitterly disappointed, and perhaps slightly confused, at giving away three scrum penalties. Looked to be asserting his dominance on Tadhg Furlong but referee Raynal saw otherwise.
Luke Romano 6/10
A couple of errors from the Lions restart were costly in an otherwise solid outing. Imposed himself with a big hit and a bruising run, but he'll demand more.
Codie Taylor 5/10
Couldn't get the arrows on song from the line-out and had limited opportunities with ball in hand in the wider channels. Pressure building on him with a huge question mark hanging over Dane Coles.
Sam Whitelock 6/10
Typically industrious performance without being a stand out. Like so many of the Crusaders players, the Lions rush defence didn't allow him to wind up on attack.
Hurricanes
Beauden Barrett 5/10
Failed to stamp his usual imprint on the game with a couple of poor touches. Aimless clearance kick led to the Chiefs first try.
Jordie Barrett 7/10
Held his own, but was outplayed by his opposite number Damian McKenzie. Kicked his goals, and looked dangerous with the ball in hand.
Ngani Laumape 6/10
Didn't get going as he has earlier in the season. Was used mainly as a battering ram, while he still looks like a liability on defence with two missed tackles from five attempts.
TJ Perenara 7/10
Organised the Hurricanes pack well and chose the right option to find Vaea Fafita for their first try. Will be disappointed with his defensive effort from the scrum that led to the James Lowe try.
Ardie Savea 7/10
Looked strong at No. 8 where he could end up against Samoa with Kieran Read out of Friday's Test. One clean break and 10 tackles are proof of his impact.
Julian Savea 6/10
Tried his best to get going in his 100th Hurricanes appearance but his opportunities were limited. Will be looking forward to returning to the All Blacks environment where he thrives.
Chiefs
Sam Cane 6/10
Solid game without being spectacular. Key breakdown penalty won towards the end of the game that saw the Chiefs go up by 10.
Aaron Cruden 6/10
Steered the Chiefs around Westpac Stadium in the first half, and supported a quick counter attack brilliantly to finish his side's first try. Night cut short by a knee injury.
Nathan Harris 5/10
Quiet outing. Won't be happy with three missed tackles from eight attempts.
Tawera Kerr-Barlow 7/10
Another lively game from the Chiefs halfback. Will be disappointed not to have finished a brilliant try-scoring opportunity created by James Lowe.
Anton Lienert-Brown 8/10
Very promising game from the Chiefs centre as the battled for the All Blacks midfield heats up. Two big breaks put his team on the front foot.