Latest World Rankings: Ireland top the rankings going into RWC
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Ireland's 19-10 win over Wales has sent Joe Schmidt's side to the top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings for the first time in history.
Top position in the World Rugby Men's Rankings has changed hands for the third time in five weeks with Ireland overhauling New Zealand to carry the mantle of the world's number one team going into Rugby World Cup 2019.
Saturday's 19-10 victory over Wales was worth just over sixth-tenths of a rating point to Ireland and improves their overall score to 89.47 points, while the All Blacks remain on 89.40 points following their emphatic 92-7 win against Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland in which wing George Bridge bagged four tries.
Rob Kearney and Hadleigh Parkes traded first-half tries before scores from Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan helped to give captain Rory Best and head coach Joe Schmidt a winning send-off in what was their final home test.
🥇Highest ranked test side in the world for the first time
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) September 7, 2019
🏉Ireland's most successful captain Rory Best's final home game
👏 Joe Schmidt's final home test
👊 Win back to back tests v Wales for the first time since 2013/14
☘️ A day to remember in Irish rugby history#IREvWAL pic.twitter.com/dNwfTLNZYz
From being top of the rankings just three weeks ago, back-to-back defeats to the Irish and a big win for South Africa against Japan have led to Six Nations Grand Slam champions Wales slipping to fifth in the world. Wales now find themselves on 87.32 points, just two-hundredths of a point fewer than the Springboks in fourth place.
The half a point gained in victory was not enough, however, for the Springboks to catch England whose 37-0 win over Italy at St James' Park went unrewarded due to there being just over 16 rating points between the teams.
Meanwhile, Australia's 34-15 win over Samoa did not affect the rankings with the sides staying in sixth and 16th place respectively.
Outside of the top 10 though, a couple of teams benefitted from the US Eagles' hard-fought 20-15 win over Canada in Vancouver.
