Wallaby loss could impact Boks' 2027 title defence
SPOTLIGHT: In sport, things can change in the blink of an eye, and history could once again repeat itself on December 3.
The draw for the 2027 World Cup takes place on that date, and there’s a very good chance that the Springboks could be in the same group as their Rugby Championship rivals and tournament hosts Australia.
Let’s rewind to 2016. The Boks were ranked seventh, with New Zealand ranked at No.1.
The two rivals ended up in the same Pool (B) at the 2019 World Cup.
Despite New Zealand defeating South Africa in their opening pool game, the Boks went on to win their third World Cup.
We could see déjà vu happening this December, depending on how highly ranked the Wallabies are at the end of the Nations Series.
Currently, RWC 2027 hosts are ranked seventh following their defeat to the Azzurri and face a mammoth task to break into Band One for their home World Cup draw.
Australia are 2.61 points behind Argentina (No.6), and they face a mammoth task in their upcoming fixtures against Ireland and France.
They will have to beat both teams to break into the top six and hope that Argentina lose to Scotland and, especially, England to make the math a bit easier for them.
Should they remain seventh or drop lower, the Wallabies could be drawn into the same pool with the Springboks, which could make life tough for the World Champions.
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The Boks are currently undoubtedly the better team of the two, but the Wallabies have shown at Ellis Park that they can upset the World Champions when their tails are up.
The Wallabies could also be a different beast come 2027, as we have seen South Africa’s turnaround between 2018 to the present since the dark days of the Allister Coetzee era.
The Boks have proven in the two previous World Cups that one can lose a pool match and still win the holy grail.
In 2019, it worked out for them to have played Japan in the quarterfinal, who was the lowest-ranked team in the final eight at that stage.
In 2023, it was a different story, as they played the top five teams during the tournament en route to their fourth title.
For the Wallabies, it is a mountain to climb, but the Boks will keep a close eye on the World Rugby Rankings as time is ticking closer to December 3.
See the updated World Rugby Rankings below…
1 South Africa 93.06 (+0.86)
2 New Zealand 91.35 (+0.36)
3 Ireland 88.85 (no change)
4 England 88.06 (+0.02)
5 France 86.95 (-0.86)
6 Argentina 84.30 (+0.48)
—–
7 Australia 81.69 (-1.21)
8 Scotland 81.21 (-0.36)
9 Fiji 81.15 (-0.02)
10 Italy 78.98 (+1.21)
11 Georgia 73.69 (no change)
12 Wales 73.57 (-0.48)
—–
13 Japan 73.25 (no change)
Source: @Rugbypass
