England’s position in the World Rugby ranking hangs in the balance following this weekend’s Rugby Championship matches, with the possibility of the team slipping down to a record low.
World Rugby has unveiled the ranking permutations for the second round of The Rugby Championship 2023, shedding light on the potential changes in the rankings.
The permutations reveal that if New Zealand manages to secure a victory by a margin of more than 15 points, they will surpass France and claim the second spot. Additionally, this win would narrow the gap between New Zealand and Ireland to a mere 1.19 points at the top of the rankings.
South Africa, currently sitting in fourth place, is not in immediate danger of falling lower in defeat. Even with a loss, they would maintain a comfortable cushion of at least 5.26 rating points over Scotland, who are ranked below them. However, if South Africa manages to avoid defeat in their match against the All Blacks in Auckland, they will trade places with New Zealand and ascend to third place, becoming the higher-ranked nation of the two.
In the other Rugby Championship encounter this weekend, Argentina has the opportunity to climb up the rankings.
A victory over Australia by a margin exceeding 15 points would propel Los Pumas above England into the sixth position. This would mark their highest ranking since November of the previous year. Alternatively, a win of any margin for Australia would result in them leapfrogging England and securing sixth place for themselves.
England has not occupied a ranking as low as seventh since February 2016, the time leading up to Eddie Jones’ first game in charge post Stuart Lancaster. However, due to the various permutations at play this weekend, there is a possibility that Steve Borthwick’s team could slide down to that position.
It should be noted that Argentina cannot fall any lower than their current position of eighth, as they hold a significant advantage over Wales in the rankings.
