mens
nations-championship
South Africa leads the way All black people at the top World Men’s Rugby Rankings has been reduced to just 0.44 points after this weekend’s Nations Championship, which produced four wins for the North and two for the South.
The Springboks and their closest rivals New Zealand both won, but while Rassie Erasmus’ side received no reward for their 66-7 win over injury-hit Italy, the All Blacks’ ranking score increased by 0.38 points for the win Scotland 43-21.
Entering the fifth round of the Nations Championship, South Africa they have 93.09 points to New Zealand’s 92.65, with the ranking of the other teams below them in the top 10 also unchanged.
Ireland continue to lead the chasing pack in third place, with 88.70 points, after gaining 0.63 points in their 42-12 win at home. Argentina on Friday night.
six nations rivals, France and England, remain in fourth and fifth place, but with marginally better results in the rankings, thanks to emphatic victories over Fiji and Australia.
Below them, Scotland, Australia, Argentina and Fiji – teams ranked sixth to ninth – all dropped points, but Wales cemented their place in the top 10 thanks to 0.99 points scored in their hard-fought 28-21 home win against Japan.
Although the top 10 remained the same, there was plenty of movement involving the Cup of Nations teams. Spain have moved up one place to 16th after an 18-12 win against Uruguay, while Tonga are two to 17 as a result of their 43-38 win on the road at Romania.
Other teams to join Spain and Tonga in moving up the rankings are Samoa, who saw off Zimbabwe with style, 43-7, and Canada, although they were well defeated by Georgia, but also by Belgium, which is not in the Cup of Nations. Both benefited from Romania fell to an all-time low of 23.
World Rugby Rankings Top 25*
1. South Africa – 93.09 (-)
2. New Zealand – 92.65 (+0.38)
3. Ireland – 88.70 (+0.63)
4. France – 87.49 (+0.06)
5. England – 86.99 (+1.31)
6. Scotland – 84.40 (-0.38)
7. Australia – 83.12 (-1.31)
8. Argentina – 81.62 (-0.63)
9. Fiji – 77.79 (0.06)
10. Wales – 77.37 (+0.99)
11. Italy – 76.30 (-)
12. Japan – 75.25 (-0.99)
13. Georgia – 73.94 (-)
14. Portugal – 70.52 (+1.13)
15. USA – 67.80 (+0.22)
16. Spain – 67.73 (+0.89)
17. Tonga – 65.87 (+0.73)
18. Chile – 65.81 (-1.13)
19. Samoa – 65.31 (+0.58)
20. Uruguay – 64.86 (-0.89)
21. Canada – 62.29 (-)
22. Belgium – 62.00 (-)
23. Romania – 61.72 (-0.73)
24. Hong Kong China – 59.55 (-0.22)
25. Zimbabwe – 58.02 (-0.58)
* Once officially updated by World Rugby at midday on Monday