There could be plenty of movement in the World Rugby Rankings this weekend with the start of The Rugby Championship and World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.
Australia begin their latest Rugby Championship campaign with an opportunity to move up to fifth in the World Rugby Rankings.
A win by any margin over South Africa would move the Wallabies, who are currently ranked sixth, above Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool A rivals Wales. Australia have only beaten the Springboks once in the last five meetings between the nations, but will hope to address that with seasoned international and talisman Matt Giteau back after a four-year international absence.
The #AllBlacks team to take on Argentina this Friday has been named: http://t.co/gm3YfBCXjo #NZLvARG #TeamAllBlacks pic.twitter.com/Fz9MDQcE8g
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) July 14, 2015
While the world’s number one ranked team, New Zealand, remain untouchable at the top of the rankings, their 5.47 rating points lead could be cut to as little as 1.31 points in the unlikely event they suffer a large defeat at the hands of Argentina on home soil in Christchurch on Friday and the Springboks win well at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane a day later.
Even if both the top two are narrowly beaten New Zealand’s lead would still be cut – to 4.70 points, as they’d lose two full ratings points as opposed to a 1.23 point reduction for the Springboks. It would also close by more than a point even if both win emphatically, given that New Zealand cannot improve their rating by beating a side ranked seven places and 15.47 points below them.
An historic victory for the Pumas over the All Blacks would see Daniel Hourcade’s side move up one place to seventh in the world at the expense of France, a commendable achievement considering the South Americans were as low as 11th just over a year ago.
New Zealand have never lost to the Pumas in 23 tests. The lowest margin between the sides in matches played in New Zealand is nine points, achieved in each of the two tests held in 1979, and, as experienced scrum-half Martin Landajo pointed out to World Rugby TV, some of the one-sided scorelines of the past are exactly that, in the past.
“The last three years we have played the All Blacks I’ve noticed that each year there are fewer differences between us,” said the 42-times capped scrum-half, who has been named on the bench for the game against the All Blacks with Hourcade opting for Tomas Cubelli as his starting nine. “Obviously they still are the best in the world and I believe it’s still fantastic that we are able to play against them. It allows our team to grow.”
This year’s Rugby Championship may be a truncated affair – with the four teams playing each other just the once, given its close proximity to Rugby World Cup 2015, but it is no less important, says Landajo’s rival Cubelli, as the Pumas look to build on their maiden tournament victory against Australia.
“In last year’s Rugby Championship, when we finally could express ourselves as a team and play the rugby we enjoy, I believe we had good results,” he said. “To go out and to enjoy ourselves is something we really should focus on. But for Argentina, despite the World Cup being on the horizon, this Rugby Championhip is going to be just as important as our first Rugby Championship. We will be competing with the best teams in the world and I’d say that the Rugby Championship is where we learn the most.”
FIJI AND TONGA EYE TOP 10 PLACE
If the opening round of World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2015 matches goes according to the current world order Fiji and Japan will both be winners, on the pitch and in the rankings.
A win for Fiji against the lower-ranked Tonga at the ANZ Stadium in Suva on Saturday would move them back into the top 10, head coach John McKee’s stated target on the eve of the competition, at the expense of Scotland. If Fiji win and Samoa lose to the USA in California they could climb as high as ninth in the rankings, a fact that won’t be lost on their RWC 2015 ‘Pool of Death’ rivals England, Wales and Australia.
Should Tonga upset the form book – they lost 45-17 to Fiji in the 2014 competition – and Samoa fail to beat their RWC 2015 Pool B opponents USA they could gain as many as 2.01 rating points and move up to the heady heights of ninth. Tonga have fleetingly appeared in the world’s top 10 before, after they defeated France 19-14 at RWC 2011.
Japan have lost ground since their superb run of results in 2014 briefly took them into the world’s top 10. The Brave Blossoms go into their Pacific Nations Cup opener against Canada ranked 13th in the world, and with victory could leapfrog both a losing Samoa and Fiji. However, they could also drop below Georgia and Italy with a heavy loss.
The USA Eagles could improve their rating by more than two points, but that would still leave them well adrift of Italy above them, position of 16th based on this weekend’s results, while the the best their fellow North Americans Canada can hope for is to swap places with their neighbours.
AFRICANS ON THE UP?
Elsewhere, Namibia are aiming to record back-to-back wins against Russia in Windhoek. The Welwitschias handed Phil Davies a winning start to his reign as head coach with a convincing 39-19 win in the first of a two-test series last weekend, and a repeat performance on Saturday would see them leapfrog the Bears and move up to 21st in the rankings. Fellow RWC 2015 qualifiers Uruguay could also benefit if Russia lose for the second week running.
Another African nation hoping to be on the rise is Kenya. The Simbas take on Spain for the first time in a test match buoyed by the knowledge they could climb the rankings by as many as five places to 25th. A win by more than 15 points in Nairobi would be rewarded with 2.32 ratings points. Spain cannot go higher than their current standing of 19th although they could slip outside the top 20 if they are beaten and Russia enjoy a spectacular turn around of fortunes in the Namibian capital.
