World Rankings: Boks move down, Australia fall to new low

SPOTLIGHT: There are some notable changes in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings after the latest round of World Cup matches.

Australia’s 6-40 defeat to Wales sees them drop to their lowest-ever position of 10th.

With Argentina picking up 1.72 points for their scrappy 19-10 win over Samoa and Australia losing two-and-a-half points in defeat, the teams have swapped places with Los Pumas up to ninth.

Australia had previously never been lower than ninth.

At the top of the rankings, Ireland have increased their rating by 3.20 points, with France now their nearest challengers, following their 13-8 win over South Africa in a seismic Pool B fixture at Stade de France.

While France did not pick up any points for their 96-0 win over Namibia – their biggest-ever win and highest score in Test rugby – because their rating was 30.06 points higher – they have taken second place from a beaten South Africa.

South Africa lost 1.97 points and their new rating of 89.70 points leaves them 0.89 points behind Les Bleus (90.59) and 4.09 points adrift of Ireland (93.79).

Italy kicked off the third round of matches on Wednesday with a 38-17 win over Uruguay, and that result combined with Samoa’s defeat has seen the sides swap places with the Azzurri now the higher-ranked of the two teams in 11th.

It is a similar story with Japan and Georgia with the Lelos’ 18-18 draw with Portugal costing them sufficient points for them to cede 13th place to the Brave Blossoms.

A missed penalty in the last seconds of the match by Nuno Sousa Guedes denied Portugal their maiden World Cup win, and also a new high in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Scotland and England are both unmoved, in fifth and sixth respectively, after their bonus-point wins over Tonga and Chile.