World Rankings: Will All Blacks get a big favour from France?
NEWS: World Rugby has published the ranking permutations as the Nations Championship, Nations Cup and Rugby Europe Men’s Trophy 2026-27 continues across Europe.
South Africa will lose their No.1 ranking if they fail to beat France, and New Zealand are victorious over Wales in Cardiff a day later.
This is despite New Zealand being unable to improve their ranking given the 15.28-point differential between the teams.
France will move up to third if they beat the Springboks for the first time since 2022, regardless of Ireland’s result against Fiji in Dublin.
Les Bleus can only lose fourth place if they are beaten by more than 15 points and England are victorious over Japan.
A first Wales win over New Zealand since 1953 will be enough to climb to ninth if Fiji are also beaten.
Fiji will only climb a place to eighth if they beat Ireland for the first time and Argentina lose to Italy, with one of the margins more than 15 points.
Whoever emerges victorious at Murrayfield between Scotland and Australia on Sunday will occupy sixth place.
Argentina can only climb to seventh if they beat Italy and Australia lose to Scotland with one of the margins by more than 15 points.
Italy will return to the top 10 with a win provided that Wales do not avoid defeat against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, England can go as high as third this weekend, but it would require them to beat Japan by more than 15 points, France to lose by the same margin and Ireland to also suffer defeat.
Japan could go as high as ninth with a win by more than 15 points if Fiji and Wales are beaten.
Georgia can only fall from 13th if they lose by more than 15 points to Tonga in the World Rugby Nations Cup and Portugal beat Samoa by the same margin. This would see Os Lobos equal their all-time high of 13th, albeit only by 0.01 rating points.
Tonga, USA, Spain and current occupiers Portugal could all end the weekend in 14th place depending on margins of victory and other results in the Nations Cup.
Romania could secure a return to the top 20, a week after dropping to their all-time low of 23rd, if they beat USA and Canada and Uruguay both suffer defeats to lower-ranked Hong Kong China and Zimbabwe.
Samoa cannot drop out of the top 20 if beaten by Portugal, but could climb as many as four places if they win by more than 15 points and other results go in their favour.
Hong Kong China will become the higher-ranked of the two nations if they beat Canada by more than 15 points.
Uruguay’s position in the top 20 is at risk if they lose and Romania and Canada win. Chile will reclaim their ranking above Spain if they win in Madrid.
Zimbabwe will climb one place in victory if Hong Kong China are beaten by Canada to equal their all-time high of 24th.
Malta can reach a new high of 36th if they can add Sweden to their Rugby Europe Men’s Trophy scalp of Germany a week ago.
Denmark can climb as many as eight places if they can upset Germany, who would slip to a new ranking low if beaten.
Czechia can’t improve their rating with victory over Lithuania due to the 13.05 point differential, but defeat will cost them one place to 30th.
World Rugby Men’s Rankings Top 25*
1. South Africa – 93.09
2. New Zealand – 92.65
3. Ireland – 88.70
4. France – 87.49
5. England – 86.99
6. Scotland – 84.40
7. Australia – 83.12
8. Argentina – 81.62
9. Fiji – 77.79
10. Wales – 77.37
11. Italy – 76.30
12. Japan – 75.25
13. Georgia – 73.94
14. Portugal – 70.52
15. USA – 67.80
16. Spain – 67.73
17. Tonga – 65.87
18. Chile – 65.81
19. Samoa – 65.31
20. Uruguay – 64.86
21. Canada – 62.29
22. Belgium – 62.00
23. Romania – 61.72
24. Hong Kong China – 59.55
25. Zimbabwe – 58.02
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