News

All Blacks reclaim summit spot

Monday 07th July 2008

Vital score: Jerome Kaino helps NZ back to top

New Zealand have reclaimed top spot in the latest IRB World Rankings following their 19-8 defeat of world champions South Africa in the opening Tri-Nations fixture in Wellington.

The All Blacks had gone into the Test trailing South Africa by 1.02 rating points, but Jerome Kaino's try and fourteen points from the boot of Daniel Carter means that the Kiwis now sit over half a rating point clear at the top on 90.59.

South Africa, who had ended New Zealand's record 40-month hold on top spot by beating England in the Rugby World Cup 2007 Final on October 20, however, have an immediate chance to bounce back when the sides meet again in Dunedin on Saturday.

The top two sit just over five rating points above Australia in third place, the Wallabies improving their total by a couple of tenths to 84.81 following a record 40-10 defeat of France in the second Test in Brisbane on Saturday.

France remain seventh despite the heavy loss by their young side, albeit now more in the middle of Wales above them and Ireland below them following a weekend which also saw Italy return to the top ten for the first time since their RWC 2007 loss to Scotland.

Italy's one place gain was not as a result of their exploits on the pitch as they were not in action, but the consequence of Fiji losing 27-16 to lower ranked Tonga in their final IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2008 encounter in Nuku'alofa on Saturday.

This loss saw Fiji and Italy swap places with three tenths now separating the two sides, while Tonga climb the two places back to the thirteenth spot they had lost last weekend following a 20-15 defeat by Samoa, with Georgia and Canada slipping back one place each again.

Samoa remain twelfth - now sandwiched between Fiji and Tonga - following their 37-31 defeat of sixteenth-ranked Japan in the only other Pacific Nations Cup match to impact the IRB World Rankings, although they have improved their rating points by a couple of tenths in the process.

IRB World Rankings:
(Previous ranking in brackets)

1(2) New Zealand 90.59
2(1) South Africa 90.01
3(3) Australia 84.81
4(4) Argentina 83.42
5(5) England 83.16
6(6) Wales 80.12
7(7) France 78.99
8(8) Ireland 77.18
9(9) Scotland 76.92
10(11) Italy 75.57

With thanks to the IRB