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Springboks vs Ireland rankings war: What's on the line this weekend
By Jon Newcombe
The battle to be number one in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings has been an interesting sub-plot to the first half of the latest Rugby World Cup cycle.
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Ireland went into the last tournament in France in 2023 having enjoyed the longest stretch at the top of any northern hemisphere team since the rankings were introduced in 2003. However, their inability to make it past the quarter-final stages once again led to them being dethroned by the Springboks.
South Africa then enjoyed an unbroken 11-month run as the top-ranked team but lost first place to Ireland when they fell to a shock 29-28 defeat to Argentina in The Rugby Championship in Santiago Del Estero last September.
However, Ireland’s slender 0.35-point advantage at the time did not last long – only six weeks – and the sides swapped places again when the Irish lost their 19-match unbeaten home record with a 23-13 defeat to the All Blacks in the opening round of the Autumn Nations Series last November.
The Springboks have enjoyed dual status as reigning world champions and the world’s number one team ever since and will be loathed to give that up. And the good news for their supporters is that not even a historic three-peat of Six Nations titles will be enough for Ireland to supplant them for a second time in six months.
The Six Nations leaders go into the penultimate round of the 2025 Championship, and the crucial clash with France, 1.42 points behind the Springboks. They can get that down to 0.88 with a handsome win over Les Bleus in Dublin on Saturday, but no more. And given they won’t receive any points if they beat Italy in the final round, South Africa’s reign at the top is safe until at least the July internationals.
Here’s your #GuinnessM6N results table following the third round of matches! There’s still everything to play for! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/swwK6R2Hke
— Guinness Men’s Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 23, 2025
If things go badly wrong this weekend, Ireland could find themselves down in fourth, with France up to third in victory and the All Blacks replacing Ireland as the second-best team behind South Africa.
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England can only get marginal gains for beating Italy at Allianz Stadium and can’t improve on sixth place, while Scotland won’t pick up any additional points if they beat a Welsh side with a significantly worse rating on home soil.
For Italy to improve on 10th, they would not only have to beat England for the first time but also by a margin of 16 points or more. The Azzurri could gain as many as two places if they send England packing and Scotland fall to Wales the day before.
Scotland will lose at least one place in defeat and could end up in 10th – two places off their all-time lowest position – if the scoreline is hugely weighted in Wales’ favour and Italy do the business against England.
Meanwhile, a precious away win in Edinburgh will see Wales restored to 11th place, taking them above Georgia.
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Current World Rankings – top 12
- South Africa 92.78
- Ireland 91.36
- New Zealand 90.36
- France 87.86
- Argentina 84.97
- England 84.26
- Scotland 82.36
- Australia 81.52
- Fiji 80.07
- Italy 78.00
- Georgia 74.69
- Wales 73.75
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Rankings? The Saffers should be given number one in perpetuity, but only because the rest of world would suffer from less earache. Just let them have their thing in the same way as Kiwis would let their wife have her thing. It not worth arguing with the mad cow, and you should have listened to your mother and never married her anyway. So that's Rugby World rankings: the Boks are the best. Forever!!
Shame the jealousy is so obvious.
Non story: Ireland could never have caught SA even with a Grand Slam full of 15+ point victories. In fact Ireland must win a grand slam to avoid dropping places.
The real live battle is between Scotland and England. Scotland were in #5 before RWC 2023 and well clear of England. Due to the ridiculous draw which de facto eliminated Scotland from their pool and gave England an easy run to a SF, coupled with Points doubled for RWC results, there was a massive swing of 6 ranking points between the nations. Scotland would have got back but for the narrow loss in Twickenham.
Scotland can get back with a good result in Paris or if Wales beat England in round 5.
England are down in Argentina in the summer and might suffer a setback.
The Rugby Championship might bring Argentina in #5 into Scotland’s range for a massive Autumn match between Scotland and Argentina.
(Given the 1000s of chest thumping, head scratching Saffer posts re losing #1 position during RC24 it was an understandable click bait headline from RP)
Jeez, Jon, another slow Monday? Huge congrats for digging your required number of words out of a total non-story! ‘War’? ‘Battle’? Come off it. The only true test (sic) of rugby teams is the RWC and even that relies on a bit of luck (oh, and of course the twisted anti-frog and anti-skaapnaaier refs).
Plus a couple of typos in there to.
Obviously, the 6N which predates the RWC by almost a century counts. Also the RC which SA rarely win?
Anti-frog? The xenophobia isn’t a great look from modern day Saffers. Has nothing really changed? All the Saffers came running here though.
South Africa rules the roost at least until they come up against an improving NZ in NZ later on in the year. I predict France will knock over Ireland.
Uh oh we all better starting preparing for the wave of rabid fanboys if either Ireland does not get the #1 ranking or if the Boks lose their #1 ranking in July. Either way, we’re done for.
Ireland could not get #1 ranking even if we grand slam 6N. In fact we will need to win a grand slam to avoid dropping places, so maybe omit us from this attack. The big infatuation with the ranking was with SA (1000s of enraged posts on this website alone after losing to Argentina) and in New Zealand: their crazies believe its their God Given right.
So you’re conceding NZ won’t take no.1 this year?
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Only Turlough on Furlough has the time to care about this 😂
what an original comment!
Only Turlough cares about this.