Boks Moves To 4th, Fiji 9th Despite Loss
Japan are unchanged at 11th but with an improved rating of 76.21 points following their 34-21 win over the higher-ranked Fiji in the opening round of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup in Kamaishi.
The Fiji Airways Flying Fijians remain at ninth after the completion of the first round of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup over the weekend.
This was after World Rugby latest ranking where the biggest mover was South Africa who move above England to 4th after securing a 16-16 draw against New Zealand at Wellington.
Japan are unchanged at 11th but with an improved rating of 76.21 points following their 34-21 win over the higher-ranked Fiji in the opening round of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup in Kamaishi.
Pollard spot on for Springboks
Handre Pollard’s last-gasp conversion in Wellington earned South Africa a 16-16 draw against New Zealand as well as one rating point in the World Rugby Rankings.
Showing nerves of steel, the Springbok first five eighth stepped up when needed to coolly add the extras to Herschel Jantjies’ try – his third in the first two games of this year’s Rugby Championship.
In a match where both sides were below their attacking best, New Zealand’s points came from a Jack Goodhue try and the boots of Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga, while Jantjies’ dramatic score came after Pollard had kicked three penalties.
By improving their rating to 86.30 points, South Africa overtakes England and move into fourth place in the rankings with a gap of just three-hundredths of a point between the sides.
The other Rugby Championship match was another low-scoring affair with Christian Lealiifano marking his return to the test arena after a successful battle against Leukaemia with three penalties and the conversion of Reece Hodge’s first-half try.
Facundo Isa scored a late try for Los Pumas who at least left the Suncorp Stadium with a losing bonus point in a 16-10 defeat.
The Wallabies picked up just under a quarter of a rating point for the victory to cement their position in sixth place in the rankings, while Argentina are still in 10th despite their second narrow defeat in as many weeks.
Tonga drops to 14th
Tonga’s 25-17 defeat to Samoa in monsoon-like conditions in Apia cost them 1.13 points and, as a result, they drop down to 14th place with Italy the side to benefit. Samoa remain in 16th place behind the USA who did not get any reward for their 47-19 home win over Canada, also in the Pacific Nations Cup.