South Africa’s return to the top of the World Rugby rankings with a convincing win over Scotland is a powerful statement for the world champions.
The Springboks moved up to top spot after a 32-15 win at Murrayfield on Sunday, ahead of Ireland who lost to New Zealand in Dublin.
Going into the clash, the South Africans knew they would regain the lead with a draw, but the win added a satisfactory rating of 0.69 to 92.46 points and cemented their 1.25-point advantage over the second-placed All Blacks.
Ireland, who finished third with the loss, were one of several teams affected by serious shuffling. The Southern Hemisphere team surged ahead of its northern rivals, with Argentina beating Italy by 50 points to lift Los Pumas into fifth place. Meanwhile, France remain steady in fourth place after Les Bleus’ resounding win over Japan.
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Elsewhere, England’s thrilling 42-37 loss to the Wallabies saw them drop to seventh, their lowest figure since 2016, while Scotland moved up to sixth.
Australia’s win moved the team up to eighth, while Fiji’s historic 28-17 win over Wales in Cardiff lifted the Pacific Islanders to ninth and relegated Italy to 10th. The Welsh remain in a lowly 11th place, on their longest ever losing streak.
In another international competition, the United States defeated Portugal and rose to 16th place, and Spain defeated Uruguay and rose to 17th place. Romania’s win over Tonga improved their points but they remain in 20th place, while Chile comfortably beat Canada but still remain in 21st place.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
