World Rankings: Boks to climb above All Blacks?
SPOTLIGHT: It’s Round One of the 2023 Rugby Championship and World Rugby has revealed the ranking permutations ahead of this weekend’s matches.
South Africa cannot improve their rating with victory over Australia due to the 7.17 rating point difference between the sides before home weighting is factored in.
However, the Springboks can improve on fourth place if they win and New Zealand are beaten by Argentina – a scenario which would see the sides swap places.
The Wallabies would fall one place to eighth in this scenario with Los Pumas climbing two places to sixth on the back of a first Test victory over the All Blacks on Argentine soil.
Argentina will also climb above Scotland into fifth place if their victory margin is by more than 15 points.
Australia will climb two places to fifth if they draw in Pretoria, climbing above Scotland and England.
South Africa cannot fall from fourth place even if beaten by more than 15 points at home, although their advantage would be cut to only 1.17 over Australia below.
Los Pumas will remain eighth in defeat as they will only lose a maximum of 0.72 rating points, which would still leave them 1.92 points ahead of Wales below.
