Boks will get No 1 ranking with big win

All the IRB world ranking permutations for this weekend's Rugby Championship matches.

Should the second-placed Springboks pull off a surprise victory against the top-ranked All Blacks on Saturday, they could end the Kiwi's five-year reign at the top of the standings. New Zealand, however, head into the clash in Wellington with a 5.14 rating point advantage over their nearest rivals, therefore the Boks can only overhaul them if they win by 15 or more points.

Argentina could climb to ninth, depending on the margin of victory, if they topple the Wallabies on the Gold Coast. A win for the 12th-placed Pumas will end their 17-year drought against the Australians and earn them an historic first Rugby Championship win. Irrespective of the result in Wellington, Ewen McKenzie's men can't overtake the Boks even if they win, because Argentina are ranked so low.

IRB rankings:

1. New Zealand 93.56
2. South Africa 88.42
3. Australia 88.10
4. England 85.68
5. Ireland 83.44
6. Wales 80.70
7. France 80.01
8. Scotland 77.78
9. Samoa 76.59
10. Japan 75.39
11. Fiji 74.56
12. Argentina 73.98
Full rankings
How the rankings work

Photo: Sandra Mu/Getty Images

Post by