World Rugby rankings: Springboks loss has dire consequences as All Blacks reach four-year high after opening Rugby Championship Tests
The current World Rugby rankings and Springboks full-back Aphelele Fassi is tackled by Wallabies centre Joseph Suaalii.
The opening Rugby Championship results has had a massive impact on the World Rugby rankings which will officially be updated on Monday with South Africa relinquishing top spot to New Zealand.
The Springboks’ 38-22 defeat to the Wallabies in Johannesburg means they have dropped down to third spot in the latest rankings with the All Blacks promoted to first position after their 41-24 triumph over Argentina in Cordoba.
Ireland move into second spot
Meanwhile, Ireland have also moved above the Springboks into second position in the list from third spot prior to this weekend’s matches despite not being in action over the weekend.
South Africa’s loss cost them three ranking points and it means it’s the first time since their 2023 Rugby World Cup triumph in France that they do not occupy top spot in the World Rugby rankings.
Saturday’s result was the first time the Boks lost on home soil to the Wallabies in 12 years and it was Australia’s first win in Johannesburg since 1963.
Despite gaining three ranking points with their victory over the world champions, the Wallabies remain sixth in the rankings.
However, Joe Schmidt’s troops have narrowed the gap significantly on France and England, who occupy fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Springboks player ratings: Bomb Squad ‘implodes’ in an embarrassing second half
The All Blacks‘ away victory over Los Pumas combined with the Boks’ shock defeat means the men in black return to the summit for the first time since November 2021.
Argentina clinging onto seventh spot
After their home defeat, Los Pumas are still in seventh position in the rankings but prior to their clash with New Zealand they held a 0.48 lead over eighth-placed Scotland but that gap has now shrunk to just 0.03 points.
The remaining spots in the top 10 of the rankings are occupied by Fiji and Italy respectively.
New Zealand and Australia both secured bonus-point victories in their respective matches at the weekend which means the All Blacks hold a slender lead at the top of the standings due to a superior points difference.
Both sides have amassed five points while South Africa and Argentina are in third and fourth spots respectively without any points notched yet.
The latter teams will be determined to change that situation next weekend when the Rugby Championship action resumes with the Boks and Los Pumas hosting the Wallabies and All Blacks in Cape Town and Buenos Aires in Round Two’s action.
READ MORE: All Blacks withstand Argentina fightback as late Samisoni Taukei’aho brace seals opening round win