Ireland were the only significant climbers in the top 10 of the latest IRB World Rankings, released on Monday.
The team earned themselves a two-place elevation, to fifth position, after their emphatic 29-9 victory over Argentina in Dublin on Sunday.
The victory sees the Irish move ahead of France, who suffered a record 59-16 loss to Australia at the weekend.
New Zealand end the year as the world number one ranked side, after achieving their third Grand Slam in six years.
Australia’s historic victory in France ensures they hold on to second place, reducing the All Blacks’ cushion at the top to only 5.74 points in the process.
Despite their 21-11 defeat at the hands of the Springboks, England remain fourth and the leading northern hemisphere nation.
Argentina returned home with only one victory from three Tests in November and are now more than two points adrift of Scotland, in eighth position. Wales and Fiji round out the top 10 with 77.04 and 74.05 points respectively.
Fiji’s 24-16 loss to Italy means they sit just three hundredths above fellow islanders Samoa.
Top 15 on IRB World Rankings – November 29:
(previous ranking in brackets)
1(1) New Zealand 93.19
2(2) Australia 87.45
3(3) South Africa 86.44
4(4) England 82.48
5(7) Ireland 81.79
6(5) France 81.66
7(6) Scotland 81.20
8(8) Argentina 78.97
9(9) Wales 77.04
10(10) Fiji 74.05
11(11) Samoa 74.02
12(12) Italy 73.31
13(13) Japan 71.45
14(14) Canada 69.19
15(16) Georgia 68.2