"Failed Auditions" – Three All Blacks stars who flopped against the Sharks

With competition for places intensifying ahead of the upcoming series against the Springboks, every opportunity matters.

Here are three All Blacks who endured frustrating auditions against the Sharks.

A mixed outing for the powerful hooker, who was busy around the field but struggled with one of his key responsibilities.

Aumua made seven tackles during his 54 minutes on the pitch and came desperately close to scoring early in the second half, powering over from close range only to be held up.

However, there were problems at lineout time, with several lost throws dragging his completion rate below 80 per cent.

The difficult conditions certainly didn't make life easy, but with fierce competition for the All Blacks No.2 jersey, those set-piece issues could prove costly.

An eventful but ultimately frustrating appearance from McKenzie.

The playmaker thought he had crossed after collecting a clever Quinn Tupaea kick through, only for the score to be chalked off after he lost control of the ball.

McKenzie did eventually get his try, although it required a TMO check to determine whether he had been forced into touch.

He remained assured under the high ball despite the difficult conditions, but an ankle problem brought his afternoon to a premature end before half-time.

Not the audition he would have wanted with places in the All Blacks backline firmly up for grabs.

Sititi produced one moment of real quality but was otherwise relatively quiet.

His superb wide pass created the space for Caleb Clarke to finish in the corner, while he also worked effectively around the breakdown and helped maintain quick ball.

However, his impact with ball in hand was limited, making 35 metres from seven carries.

Sititi grew into the contest before being withdrawn after 59 minutes, but given the fierce competition in the All Blacks back-row, he may have wanted to make a much bigger statement.