World Rankings: All Blacks cut Springboks lead at the top
SPOTLIGHT: South Africa’s lead over New Zealand at the top of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings has been cut following this weekend’s Nations Championship, which produced four wins for the North and two for the South.
The Springboks and their nearest rivals New Zealand both won, but whereas Rassie Erasmus’ side didn’t get any reward for their 66-7 victory over an injury-hit Italy, the All Blacks’ rankings score has increased by 0.38 points for beating Scotland 43-21.
Entering the fifth round of the Nations Championship, South Africa have 93.09 points to New Zealand’s 92.65, with the order of the rest of the teams below them in the top 10 also unchanged.
Ireland continue to head the chasing pack in third, on 88.70 points, having picked up 0.63 points for their 42-12 win at home to Argentina on Friday evening.
Six Nations rivals, France and England, remain in fourth and fifth but with marginally better rankings scores, thanks to emphatic wins over Fiji and Australia.
Below them, Scotland, Australia, Argentina and Fiji – the teams ranked sixth to ninth – all lost points, but Wales have strengthened their place in the top 10 as a result of the 0.99 points gained for their hard-fought 28-21 win at home to Japan.
While the top 10 has remained the same, there has been plenty of movement involving Nations Cup teams. Spain have climbed one place to 16th on the back of an 18-12 win against Uruguay, while Tonga are up two to 17th as a result of their 43-38 victory away to Romania.
The other teams to join Spain and Tonga and move up the rankings are Samoa, who saw off Zimbabwe in style, 43-7, and Canada, even though they were well beaten by Georgia, and also Belgium, who aren’t in the Nations Cup. Both benefitted from Romania falling to an all-time low of 23rd.
Source: Rugbypass
1 YEAR TO GO
The countdown is on until the biggest Men’s Rugby World Cup ever kicks off in Australia. Go All Out and secure your seats with tickets now available!
