All Blacks hot on Boks' heels for No.1 ranking
SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks closed the gap in the World Rugby rankings ahead of their mini two-Test series during the Rugby Championship later this year.
Following their two victories over a depleted French side, New Zealand closed the world rankings gap on South Africa by merely 1.06 points following a 0.74 boost to up 91.72 points.
The Boks will face the All Blacks in back-to-back Tests at Eden Park and the Wellington Regional Stadium, respectively, during the Rugby Championship.
A series victory should be enough to overtake the world champions as the best team in the world, should the Boks still be ranked No.1 at that stage.
Meanwhile, the Wallabies are two places higher on the world rankings despite not playing a Test.
This is thanks to the defeat of Scotland to Fiji and Argentina going down to England, which earned them a sixth place spot on the table ahead of their opening Test against the British and Irish Lions.