As well as winning a host of new admirers for their adventurous approach throughout Rugby World Cup 2015, beaten semifinalists Argentina and headline-grabbing Japan have also enjoyed the biggest rise of all the competing nations in the World Rugby Rankings. Both are ranked 3 places higher than where they were when Rugby World Cup 2015 began at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 18 September.Los Pumas have moved up from 8th to 5th thanks to their 2nd place finish behind New Zealand in Pool C and the way that they effortlessly brushed Ireland aside in the quarterfinals.
A disappointing World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup campaign this summer left Japan languishing 13th in the rankings, and at that stage few people would have predicted what they would go on to achieve in England: 3 wins from 4 and a place in tournament folklore.
The Brave Blossoms’ historic 34 / 32 win over South Africa in Brighton may not have been enough to book them a place in the knockout stages but it did help them return to the world’s Top 10.
With points exchanges doubled to reflect the importance Rugby World Cup matches no-one fared better than Japan, going from 72.06 rating points pre-tournament to 77.05 at its conclusion.
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Despite losing 1.14 rankings points during Rugby World Cup 2015 following narrow defeats to Australia and South Africa, Wales will end the year in 4th having briefly risen to a new high of 2nd following their 28 / 25 victory over England at Twickenham. They would have stayed in their pre-tournament position of 5th had Argentina not lost to South Africa in the bronze final on Friday.
Georgia’s 17 / 10 victory over higher-ranked Tonga, in the 2nd game of Rugby World Cup 2015, contributed to a 2-place rise up to 14th for the Lelos. Italy also finished the tournament 2 places better off than where they started it in 12th despite failing to reach the quarterfinals for the 1st time.
Scotland’s on-pitch progress was reflected by a 1-place rise up to 9th, but Six Nations rivals England and Ireland endured a dramatic fall in the rankings.
England at new low:
At one point the 2nd best ranked team in the world, Ireland slipped 3 places to 6th after their quarterfinal loss to Argentina, while England, the 1st host nation to exit a Rugby World Cup at the Pool stages, now languish in 8th, equalling their worst ever position since the rankings began in 2003, after a 4-place fall.
Sharing their pain were the 3 Pacific Island nations. Fiji and Tonga dropped 2 places to 11th and 13th place respectively while Samoa’s disappointing showing at England 2015 cost them 3 places and they now find themselves in 15th.
At the top it’s a case of as you were, with the 1-2-3 of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa still very much intact. The All Blacks’ lead over the Wallabies has increased to 6.77 points – up 0.55 from 6 weeks ago – following their 34 / 17 victory in Saturday’s final.
2 Other matches that affected the rankings outside of Rugby World Cup 2015 took place in Europe over the weekend.
Lithuania’s 49 / 17 win over Andorra in the European Nations Cup 2016 Division 2B sees them leapfrog Madagascar into 41st place, while Latvia overcame Hungary 31 / 10 to move up 2 places to 61st. Andorra and Hungary each fall 1 place in defeat, to 59th and 71st respectively.