Portugal reach record high in World Rugby Men’s Rankings

Os Lobos’ 24-23 victory over Fiji in Toulouse – their first win in Rugby World Cup history – rounds off the pool phase in style.

Portugal have climbed three places to a new high of 13th in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini following their stunning 24-23 win over Fiji in the final match of the pool phase of Rugby World Cup 2023.

The crowd at Stadium de Toulouse were treated to a wonderful, helter-skelter match that went one way and then the other before being eventually being won in the 78th minute when Rodrigo Marta raced over down the right-hand touchline and Samuel Marques kicked the all-important conversion.

With four points awarded to them for beating a side ranked eight places higher than them before kick-off, Portugal’s new rating of 72.78 points takes them above Georgia, Samoa and Tonga, despite the latter having beaten Romania in the penultimate match of the pool phase.

For Fiji, the main goal was qualification for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2007 and the losing bonus point they picked up in Toulouse was enough for them to go through ahead of Australia on the head-to-head ruling.

However, the manner of the performance was not anywhere near where Fiji would have wanted it to be and they will now go into their last eight tie with England ranked in 10th place, a fall of two places.

Argentina move up one place to eighth as a result of their 39-27 win over Japan in the first of three entertaining matches on Sunday, while Australia, who exit at the pool stage for the first time, go home ranked one place better off in ninth following the Fiji-Portugal result.

Romania had 1.28 points knocked off their rating following their battling 45-24 defeat to Tonga, which means the Oaks have lost 19th place to Spain. Romania have never been lower than their current position of 20th.

The weekend’s other RWC 2023 matches had no impact on the rankings.

Meanwhile, Finland kicked off their Rugby Europe Conference 2023-24 Pool A campaign with a 14-10 home win against Denmark. Finland climb two places to 71st, Denmark’s position before the weekend, with the Danes dropping down to 77th.

Moldova also beat Serbia 31-11 in Pool C but the victory was not enough to improve on 57th.