A shock defeat would open the door for the All Blacks or Ireland to leapfrog the Springboks and claim the No 1 world ranking on Saturday.
The Boks’ hold on top spot in the World Rugby rankings is unlikely to be shaken by Wales at King Park, where the teams lock horns in round three of the Nations Championship.
The Welsh Dragons, who have travelled to Durban off the back of a defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina, have won just once in 13 meetings on South African soil (13-12, Bloemfontein, 2022).
SCHALK: Vusi, Bok bench to cause problems
Still, should Rassie Erasmus’ men slip up against a team ranked 11 places below them, the All Blacks or Ireland could seize top spot – provided one of them triumphs by 16 points or more in Auckland.
That scenario ties into a bigger story at Eden Park, where the Irish will aim to end New Zealand’s 32-year, 52-match unbeaten record at the ground.
Andy Farrell’s charges sit just 1.72 points behind the Kiwis in third, and victory would lift them to second, with their rating climbing to 90.49 or 91.08 with a 15-point-plus margin. New Zealand’s rating could sink to 89.28 in defeat.
The Boks won’t gain any rating points from a win against Wales regardless of their margin of victory due to the large gap (17.58 rating points) between the teams.
SCHALK: Vusi, Bok bench to cause problems
Elsewhere, France will also gain nothing from beating Japan, while England can only rise with a win over Argentina paired with a French loss.
Scotland have another shot at equalling their highest-ever fifth standing, dependent on their margin against Fiji.
Argentina could swap places with seventh-placed England if Los Pumas win, and Australia risk dropping below Italy in Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt’s farewell match.
World Rugby rankings (Top 15)
1. South Africa 93.96
2. New Zealand 91.04
3. Ireland 89.32
4. France 87.43
5. England 84.75
6. Scotland 84.09
7. Argentina 84.06
8. Australia 80.60
9. Fiji 78.69
10. Italy 77.31
11. Japan 76.42
12. Wales 76.38
13. Georgia 73.30
14. USA 69.40
15. Portugal 68.67
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post How strong is Boks’ grip on top spot? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
A shock defeat would open the door for the All Blacks or Ireland to leapfrog the Springboks and claim the No 1 world ranking on Saturday.
The post How strong is Boks’ grip on top spot? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
