Boks slip to sixth in rankings

Bok coach Allister Coetzee

Bok coach Allister Coetzee

Published Dec 8, 2016

Share

South Africa were the biggest losers in the top 10 of world rugby rankings during the glut of Test matches that took place in November.

Ireland and Scotland both gained ground from a rankings perspective, while the Springboks slid down from fourth to sixth spot as the jockeying for positions before next May’s Rugby World Cup 2019 draw intensified.

If the pools were drawn now, New Zealand (1), England (2), Australia (3) and Ireland (4) would be kept apart because they are the top four seeds among the 12 direct qualifiers from RWC 2015.

With four pools of five teams, each top seed is drawn with a side ranked fifth to eighth and then one from ninth to 12th. The ­remaining eight teams are drawn from two further bands.

So it is possible that New Zealand could be drawn alongside two of last year’s semi-finalists, South Africa and Argentina, in a pool every bit as tasty as the one that confronted England when paired with Australia, Wales, Fiji and Uruguay in Pool A at RWC 2015. 

Rankings:

1 New Zealand; 2 England; 3 Ireland; 4 Australia; 5 Wales;

6 South Africa; 7 Scotland; 8 Argentina; 9 France; 10 Fiji; 11 Japan;

12 Georgia; 13 Samoa; 14 Tonga; 15 Italy; 16 Romania; 17 United States; 18 Canada; 19 Namibia; 20 Russia

ANA

Related Topics: