Potential for big movement in World Rugby Men’s Rankings

While Ireland are safe in their position as the number one team in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini the jockeying for positions below them will intensify this weekend.

With the final two Rugby Championship matches taking place and four Rugby World Cup 2023 warm-up tests also counting towards the rankings, the potential is there for teams to improve their standing.

Indeed, in three of the matches, it is possible for the lower-ranked away team (Fiji, Tonga and Italy) to move above their hosts in victory, depending on the margin.

SECOND PLACE IS FOR THE TAKING

New Zealand in third are the highest-ranked team in action this weekend and it will stay that way unless they lose to Australia by more than 15 points in Melbourne and South Africa also defeat Argentina, by any margin, in the other Rugby Championship fixture in Johannesburg.

Any form of win for the All Blacks in the first test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 16 years will be enough for them to wipe out the narrow gap between themselves and France and move up to second place at Les Bleus’ expense.

A Bledisloe Cup win by more than 15 points would close the gap on first-place Ireland to only 1.05 points while also ensuring they retain their Rugby Championship title in style.

Australia cannot slip any lower than their present position of eighth but there is the potential for them to climb by as many as three places to fifth if they win by a big enough margin and other results go their way.

FIFTH POSSIBLE FOR LOS PUMAS

With only two-hundredths of a point available to them in victory over Los Pumas – in what is head coach Jacques Nienaber’s last home test before his departure to Leinster – it is not possible for South Africa to improve on fourth place in their own right, they must hope that New Zealand drop rating points as well.

Argentina’s hold on seventh place is dependent on how Australia fare. A defeat for Los Pumas combined with a win for Australia will result in a fall to eighth – unless Scotland lose at home to Italy.

A rare win over the Springboks in South Africa – they have only managed one before – will send Argentina up to fifth, which is their highest position since June 2016, with the gap between the two teams down to less than a point if they win by more than 15 points.