The Springboks remain the top-ranked team in world rugby following another impressive weekend of international action, but their lead over the All Blacks has been reduced.
South Africa maintained their position at the summit of the World Rugby rankings despite not collecting additional ranking points after their emphatic victory over Italy. New Zealand, meanwhile, gained valuable points following their win over Scotland, moving closer to the reigning world champions.
Springboks Dominate Italy in Nations Championship
The Springboks produced one of their most convincing performances of the tournament, running in 10 tries to secure a commanding 66-7 victory over Italy in Treviso.
The result strengthened South Africa’s position in the Southern Hemisphere standings, where they remain unbeaten after four matches.
New Zealand also continued their impressive run, defeating Scotland 43-21 at Murrayfield. The All Blacks collected 0.38 ranking points from the victory, bringing them within touching distance of the Springboks.
The gap between the two rugby powerhouses now stands at just 0.44 points.
Ireland, England and France Record Important Wins
Ireland returned to winning ways with a convincing 42-12 victory over Argentina on home soil.
England also delivered an impressive attacking performance at Twickenham, beating Australia 45-22. France recorded an equally dominant result, overpowering Fiji 54-17.
Wales completed the weekend’s action among the leading teams with a hard-fought 28-21 victory over Japan in Cardiff.
The results ensured that every team in the World Rugby top 10 collected ranking points, except South Africa. Italy’s 11th-place ranking meant the Springboks did not gain points despite their big win.
Despite the movement in points, none of the teams in the top 15 changed their ranking positions.
Latest World Rugby Top 15 Rankings
South Africa continue to lead the standings with 93.09 points, followed by New Zealand on 92.65. Ireland occupy third place, while France and England complete the top five.
Here is how the latest rankings stand:
| Rank | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 93.09 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 92.65 |
| 3 | Ireland | 88.70 |
| 4 | France | 87.49 |
| 5 | England | 86.99 |
| 6 | Scotland | 84.40 |
| 7 | Australia | 83.12 |
| 8 | Argentina | 81.62 |
| 9 | Fiji | 77.79 |
| 10 | Wales | 77.37 |
| 11 | Italy | 76.30 |
| 12 | Japan | 75.25 |
| 13 | Georgia | 73.94 |
| 14 | Portugal | 70.52 |
| 15 | USA | 67.80 |
Springboks Lead the Southern Hemisphere Standings
South Africa are also setting the pace in the Nations Championship’s Southern Hemisphere competition.
The Springboks have won all four of their matches, collecting 20 points and boasting an impressive points difference of +140.
New Zealand are level with South Africa on 20 competition points after also winning all four fixtures. However, the Springboks hold the advantage on points difference, with the All Blacks sitting at +73.
Australia and Argentina are third and fourth respectively, while Japan occupy fifth place. Fiji are still searching for their first victory.
Southern Hemisphere Standings
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +140 | 20 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +73 | 20 |
| 3 | Australia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | +6 | 8 |
| 4 | Argentina | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -32 | 7 |
| 5 | Japan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -33 | 5 |
| 6 | Fiji | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -133 | 0 |
France Lead the Northern Hemisphere Competition
France remain at the top of the Northern Hemisphere standings after four rounds, having collected 17 points from three victories.
England and Ireland are second and third respectively, both on 15 points. Scotland occupy fourth position with 11 points, followed by Wales on 10.
Italy are bottom of the table after losing all four of their matches.
Northern Hemisphere Standings
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +78 | 17 |
| 2 | England | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +71 | 15 |
| 3 | Ireland | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +29 | 15 |
| 4 | Scotland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -11 | 11 |
| 5 | Wales | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -35 | 10 |
| 6 | Italy | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -153 | 0 |
All Blacks Put Pressure on the Springboks
Although South Africa remain firmly at the top of the world rankings, New Zealand’s latest victory has made the race for first place increasingly competitive.
With only 0.44 points separating the two rivals, the Springboks will need to maintain their winning form to protect their position.
Their unbeaten Nations Championship campaign has put them in a strong position, but the All Blacks are keeping the pressure on as the international season continues.
