
Twickenham-conquering Boks entrench top spot
A nine-point victory over England at Twickenham has seen the Springboks settle at the top of World Rugby’s rankings ahead of the final Test of the year.
A nine-point victory over England at Twickenham has seen the Springboks settle at the top of World Rugby’s rankings ahead of the final Test of the year.
The Springboks’ position as the number one Test team has been strengthened after Ireland’s shock defeat to England, while Italy’s historic win in Rome has lifted the Azzurri to a best-ever position in World Rugby’s rankings.
The Springboks have entrenched their position as the world’s number-one team, after starting the year ranked behind Ireland, France and New Zealand.
The Springboks were one point away from replacing Ireland as the top-ranked team in World Rugby’s latest Test rankings.
Any one of the Springboks, All Blacks or France could end the weekend as the number-one ranked team if Fiji cause a massive upset in Dublin.
The Springboks will have the opportunity to reclaim their status as the top-ranked Test team when they take on Ireland in Dublin on an action-packed Saturday.
Ireland can overtake France at the top of the World Rugby Rankings while a loss for the Springboks could relegate the world champions to fifth place.
England have been demoted to fourth place, while Ireland rose to third in the World Rugby rankings following this past weekend’s Six Nations results.
The Springboks will finish the year with a nearly two-point lead over the second-placed All Blacks in the World Rugby rankings.
The Springboks have officially relinquished their status as the No 1-ranked team in the world to the All Blacks.