Springboks Strengthen No. 1 Ranking After 43-28 Win Over All Blacks
South Africa have strengthened their position at the top of the World Rugby men’s rankings after completing a 3-1 series victory over New Zealand.
The Springboks defeated the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore, adding another 0.76 rating points to their tally and opening up a significantly bigger gap over their closest rivals.
Also Read: Springboks vs All Blacks: History Points to a Clear Favourite
South Africa Pull Further Clear
According to Planet Rugby, the victory leaves the Springboks on 95.09 rating points, while New Zealand remain second on 91.15.
South Africa’s advantage has grown from 1.68 points before the series to 3.94 points, giving the reigning No. 1 side a more comfortable cushion at the summit.
The Baltimore encounter also produced a notable first for the series, with the Springboks scoring six tries to New Zealand’s four.
Damian de Allende and Morne van den Berg crossed in the opening half for South Africa, while Codie Taylor and Will Jordan responded for the All Blacks.
The Springboks then added four more tries after the break through de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom, while Ethan Blackadder and Beauden Barrett scored for New Zealand.
Japan Closes In On Italy
Japan was another major mover in the latest rankings after a commanding 63-14 victory over the United States in Osaka.
The result earned the Brave Blossoms the maximum 0.73 rating-point increase, taking them to 76.09 points and 12th place.
Japan are now only 0.21 points behind 11th-placed Italy, while their advantage over 13th-ranked Georgia has increased to 2.15 points.
The result also secured Japan a place in the Pacific Nations Cup final, where they will meet defending champions Fiji next weekend.
Fiji Remain Ninth
Fiji retained ninth position despite beating Canada 45-29 in their Pacific Nations Cup semi-final.
The 16-point victory was not enough to increase Fiji’s rating because of the sizeable difference between the two sides’ ratings before kick-off.
Fiji will now face Japan at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium for the Pacific Nations Cup title, while Canada and the USA will contest the third-place play-off.
Japan could climb as high as ninth in the world if they defeat the defending champions in the final.
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