Latest World Rankings

July 22, 2019
2920
Ultimate Rugby

South Africa have closed in on fourth place in the World Rugby Rankings following their win over Australia, while New Zealand survived a big scare to keep their unbeaten record against Los Pumas intact.

Argentina came close to claiming a historic victory over the All Blacks in Buenos Aires on Saturday and in doing so missed out on the chance to climb the World Rugby Rankings.

Screenshot via: World Rugby

The Pumas could have climbed the rankings at least one place had they beaten the world championship – two if the margin was more than 15 points – but despite keeping Steve Hansen's side scoreless in the second half, they fell just short and had to settle for a losing bonus point in a 20-16 defeat. Instead, Argentina stay in 10th place in the rankings with the All Blacks on track to mark an unbroken decade at the top later this year.

Meanwhile, the victory for the All Blacks saw them record their 450th test victory.

The Pumas kept the All Blacks scoreless in the second half, becoming the first side to do so since the Springboks in 2011, but were unable to stop the All Blacks from claiming their 450th test victory 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/fhqOiYEOPX

— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) July 20, 2019

Scrum-half Herschel Jantjies grabbed a brace on his test debut and Lood de Jager, S'bu Nkosi and replacement Cobus Reinach joined him on the scoresheet, Elton Jantjies converting all five tries in a 35-17 win for the Springboks. Dane Haylett-Petty finished off a good first-half move before Bernard Foley added a second try late on for the Wallabies.

South Africa picked up just over seven-tenths of a rating point for the victory to reduce the gap between themselves and England, the side immediately above them in fourth, to just under one point. Following the defeat, seventh-place Australia's cushion over Scotland is down to one-and-a-half points.