World Rankings: Boks drop

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks have dropped to fifth place in the wake of their Rugby Championship triumph in Salta on Saturday.

South Africa picked up just over half a rating point for their Rugby Championship title-clinching 46-13 victory against Argentina in Salta, however, it was not enough to retain the fourth place as the 1.07 points awarded to England saw them trade places with the Springboks and move up to fourth.

With New Zealand’s 26-47 defeat to Australia on Saturday in Perth, Wales took to the field at Twickenham the following day knowing that a draw or victory would see them create history. But England were the more composed of the two teams and tries for Billy Vunipola, Joe Cokanasiga and Luke Cowan-Dickie plus 15 points from the boot of George Ford and an Elliot Daly drop goal saw them avenge their defeat to Wales in Cardiff in this year’s Six Nations.

England’s 33-19 win over the Wales meant that Warren Gatland’s stay in second place with just two-tenths of a point ahead of Ireland, who beat Italy 29-10 in Dublin on Saturday.

For Australia, their historic win over the All Blacks was not enough to help them make their way out of No.6.

While World Cup host Japan continued their impressive pre-Rugby World Cup 2019 form by dispatching the USA 34-20 in Suva to claim the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup and also earn enough rating points to leapfrog Fiji, who ended the tournament with a 10-3 win against Samoa, and Argentina in the rankings.

@WorldRugby