World Rankings Could Change Following This Weekend

Seventeen of the top 20 sides in the World Rugby rankings are in action this weekend with Georgia, Portugal and Spain the exceptions.

Ireland and New Zealand, the top two sides in the world, won't be able to pick up any points in their respective games against Italy and Australia (due to the points difference between teams before home weighting is factored in). Howver, there is an opportunity for France to make some headway in the rankings this weekend.

Les Bleus lost second place to the All Blacks last weekend but will reclaim it if they manage any form of win over Scotland at Murrayfield. Top spot is possible for France only if Ireland do not manage to do any better than draw with Italy in Dublin.

France and South Africa could become the world’s top two sides, with Ireland and New Zealand falling to third and fourth, but it would take an unexpected set of results for that to happen.

In addition to a France victory, South Africa would need to beat Argentina by more than 15 points at the Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in Buenos Aires and hope that Ireland and New Zealand lose at home by the same margin.
South Africa will replace RWC 2023 hosts France in third if they win and Les Bleus lose – as long as the margin in the one of the games is more than 15 points.

Scotland cannot pick up enough points to improve on fifth place but England can replace them there if the Scots fail to win and England beat Wales in Cardiff. The lowest England can fall to in defeat is eighth, which is their all-time low. A defeat by more than 15 points would leave them just 0.73 points better off than Wales.

Wales will equal their lowest-ever ranking of 10th if they lose by more than 15 points. A big win for Argentina at home to the Springboks could send them as high as fifth but other results would have to go their way, too, for this to happen.