World Rankings: Ireland overtake Wales
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ireland’s 24-14 win over defending Six Nations champions Wales made sure they climb one spot to fourth place.
A second consecutive man-of-the-match performance from Christiaan Stander inspired the Irish, who scored two tries in each half to collect the bonus point.
Jordan Larmour and Tadhg Furlong crossed in the first half before Josh van der Flier and Andrew Conway ensured they finished with all five points.
For Wales, Tomos Williams scored what was arguably the try of the match in the first half but too many handling errors and a determined Irish defence stymied their efforts in attack and they could only add one more try to their tally through Justin Tipuric right at the death.
With Wales’ eight-match winning run in the Championship coming to an end, the teams trade places in the rankings with Ireland now the higher-ranked of the two in the fourth position.
Horrendous conditions in Edinburgh made for a difficult afternoon for players and spectators alike at Murrayfield as England ground out a 13-6 win, Ellis Genge’s second-half try proving to be the difference between the sides.
Having picked up a fraction under half a point from their trip north, England close the gap on second-placed New Zealand to 4.3 points.
