Rankings: Two teams could take Springboks’ top spot

The Springboks currently occupy top spot on the world rankings with a healthy tally of 92.78 points, and they will be overwhelming favourites to defeat Italy in their first Test of the year this Saturday.

However, the Springboks have been at pains to mention this week that they won’t be underestimating Italy, and they will certainly want to stay true to their word when looking at the rankings permutations below.

• Three teams could all be ranked number one by the end of a busy weekend of test rugby where 10 matches will be played across five continents.
• The Springboks currently occupy top spot in the rankings on 92.78 rating points, but their 2.42-point cushion over New Zealand in second will be wiped out if they lose to Italy for only the second time in  history.
• A shock defeat to the Azzurri will see the Springboks slip from top spot, a position they have held since mid-November last year.
• South Africa will be replaced by whoever emerges victorious from the first of three tests between New Zealand and France if they slip up in Pretoria.
• However, victory may not be enough for Italy to improve on 10th place, unless it comes in tandem with a Fiji loss to Australia on Sunday.
• If Fiji do win then Italy need one of the margins to be by more than 15 points for them to climb to ninth at the expense of the Wallabies, who would drop two to 10th.
• Neither South Africa nor Ireland are able to improve their rating by beating sides significantly lower than them in the rankings.
• New Zealand will drop two places to fourth if they lose to France and Ireland beat Georgia.
• France are unable to drop from fourth place even if they lose by more than 15 points as the closest a victorious Argentina side can get to them this weekend is 2.61 points.
• England will climb above their hosts Argentina into fifth if they avoid defeat, while Fiji will take over eighth place from Australia if they are victorious in their meeting in Newcastle.
• The Wallabies are also unable to improve their position this weekend, albeit only just as a victory by more than 15 points would see them behind Scotland – who face the Maori All Blacks this weekend – by mere thousandths of a rating point with both on 82.36 points.
• Japan will climb above Wales for the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2003 if they win the first match of the two-test series in Kitakyushu.
• An 18th consecutive test defeat for Wales would see them fall another two places to a new low of 14th with Japan and Samoa the beneficiaries.
• Japan will slip below Samoa if beaten by Wales, while their visitors must win by more than 15 points and hope Georgia lose to Ireland in order to climb swap places with the Lelos.
• An historic win for Georgia in Tbilisi against Ireland will not come with any positional gain.
• USA cannot improve their rating with victory over Belgium given the 10.04-point difference between the teams before home weighting is factored in.
• The Men’s Eagles will only surrender 15th place if they lose by more than 15 points, a scenario that would see Belgium climb to a new high of 21st providing Chile don’t beat Romania by the same margin.
• Chile will enter the top 20 for the first time if they beat Romania by more than 15 points.

WEEKEND TESTS

Saturday, 5 July

Japan vs Wales – 06:00

New Zealand vs France – 09:05

South Africa vs Italy – 17:10

Georgia vs Ireland – 19:10

Chile vs Romania – 20:00

Argentina vs England – 21:40

ALSO

Maori All Blacks vs Scotland – 05:35

Waratahs vs British & Irish Lions – 12:00

Sunday, 6 July

USA vs Belgium – 01:30

Australia vs Fiji – 05:30

LATEST WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS AS SPRINGBOKS PREPARE TO KICK OFF THEIR 2025 TEST SEASON

What is your score prediction for the SA game against Italy?

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