There are so many subplots to take note of as the Springboks head into battle against the All Blacks on Saturday, and the permutations for the world rankings certainly cannot be overlooked.
A victory for the Springboks this Saturday would mark only the second time in history that they win four matches in a row against the All Blacks. They last won four in a row between 1937 and 1949 – when the Boks went on to win six consecutive Tests against the Kiwis.
It would also be the first four-peat since rugby unity in South Africa in the early 1990s, while victory at the DHL Stadium would also see the Boks clinch the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009
A win would also see them effectively wrap up the Rugby Championship title, while it is essential that they win to retain the No 1 world ranking.
STATS ON MEN’S WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS AS THE SPRINGBOKS LOOK TO HOLD ONTO NO 1
- A first defeat of The Rugby Championship 2024 will see the Springboks surrender top spot in
the rankings to Ireland. - The Springboks will fall to third in the world rankings if the margin of defeat is by more than 15 points with their conquerors New Zealand also climbing above the world champions.
- However, a fourth win of the tournament could see the Springboks increase their cushion
at top over Ireland to 1.56 points. - New Zealand cannot fall from third place even if they suffer back-to-back defeats in South
Africa as they would still sit 1.18 points above France in fourth. - Argentina cannot regain the sixth place they lost to Scotland following last weekend’s loss
to Australia even if they beat the Wallabies by more than 15 points in Santa Fe. - This margin of victory would leave Los Pumas trailing Scotland by 0.33 rating points and
see Australia fall back to ninth behind Italy. - Australia will become the higher ranked of the two teams in seventh if they beat Argentina.
- A win by more than 15 points would leave the Wallabies just 0.04 points behind Scotland in
sixth. - Defeat by this margin would see Argentina fall another place with Italy the beneficiaries.
- Meanwhile, in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup this weekend Fiji are unable to
improve on 10th place with victory over Tonga in Nuku’alofa. - It is a similar scenario for Japan, who can only pick up a maximum of 0.17 points for beating
USA in Kumagaya this weekend. - USA, however, will climb three places to 16th if they can beat the Brave Blossoms and
Tonga lose at home to Fiji. They have not been ranked as high since November 2021. - Japan will drop a place and be replaced in 15th by Portugal if they lose to the Men’s Eagles.
- Defeat by more than 15 points would leave Japan sitting a mere 0.21 points above USA.
- A win for Tonga by more than 15 points will see the ‘Ikale Tahi climb two places to 14th if
combined with a Japanese defeat. Otherwise, they’ll have to settle for a one-place gain. - Such a defeat would also cost Fiji their place in the top 10 with Wales replacing them.
WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS EXPLAINER
The men’s and women’s World Rugby Rankings are calculated using a points exchange system, in
which sides take points off each other based on the match result. Whatever one side gains, the
other loses.
The exchanges are based on the match result, the relative strength of each team and the margin of
victory (15 points or less / more than 15 points), and there is an allowance for home advantage.
Any match that is not a full international between two World Rugby full member unions does not
count towards the rankings, e.g. the British and Irish Lions test against Japan.
For more on the World Rugby Rankings, visit www.world.rugby/rankings
WHO DO YOU SEE WINNING THE TEST BETWEEN SA AND NZ?
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