The last round of the Rugby Championship could result in one final shake-up to the top ten in the World Rugby rankings before the November Internationals.<\/p>\n
South Africa tops the rankings and the Rugby Championship table heading into the final weekend of action, but a heavy defeat to Argentina could see them relinquish their number one ranking and their TRC title.<\/p>\n
The All Blacks<\/a> may have retained the Bledisloe Cup for another year and remain in the running for the TRC, a tournament New Zealand has dominated over the years, but face a Wallabies<\/a> outfit who are also in the running for their first Rugby Championship<\/a> gong since 2015.<\/p>\n Los Pumas are the only team out of the running for the title, but the clash at Allianz Stadium, Tickenham in London is still an all-important one for Felipe Contepomi and his men, with the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw fast approaching.<\/p>\n Weekend\u2019s permutations and World Cup draw<\/p>\n Earlier this week, World Rugby announced that the draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia will take place on 3 December 2025, where all 24 qualified teams will discover their pool stage opponents.<\/p>\n With the draw just around the corner, this weekend\u2019s action is particularly important for the likes of Argentina and Australia, with the latter currently set to be included in the second band of teams because of their 7th-placed position on the world rankings.<\/p>\n The bands for the draw will be used to create the four bands of six teams, and while some catch is possible during the November internationals, the two nations will be eager to strengthen their position before then.<\/p>\n For the Springboks<\/a>, a defeat to Argentina could see them remain at the top of the rankings, provided that they don\u2019t lose by more than 15 points or New Zealand beats Australia by the same margin.<\/p>\n These scenarios would see a third change at the top during The Rugby Championship 2025, with the All Blacks and Springboks swapping places again, dropping the world champions to third. South Africa did not gain any ranking points for their comprehensive victory over the Pumas in Durban last weekend, but they are able to this week, with the match in London deemed as a home game for Argentina.<\/p>\n If this isn\u2019t Rassie Erasmus\u2019 \u2018strongest\u2019 Springboks team, what is?<\/a><\/p>\n If Rassie Erasmus\u2019 charges claim another victory by more than 15 points, South Africa can extend their lead at the top to 2.66 points over Ireland. However, New Zealand can move into second position, but they would need to beat the Wallabies by 15 points more to do so. South Africa will be replaced at number one by Ireland if they lose by more than 15 points and the Bledisloe Cup match in Perth ends in a draw.<\/p>\n A win over the Boks would see Argentina retain sixth place in the rankings regardless of the result in Perth on Saturday. However, they cannot catch England in fifth even with an emphatic victory. A loss for Argentina paired with a Wallabies win will see the two nations switch positions, with the latter moving into sixth.<\/p>\n Australia cannot slip from seventh this weekend even if beaten heavily at home.<\/p>\n As for the All Blacks, Scott Robertson\u2019s men could slip as low as 5th if they fall to a defeat by more than 15 points.<\/p>\n Springboks \u2018chase the perfect game\u2019 as Rassie Erasmus claims there hasn\u2019t been a \u2018dramatic\u2019 tactical change<\/a><\/p>\n AUSTRALIA (7) 83.67 v NEW ZEALAND (3) 89.28<\/p>\n Australia win by 15 points or less \u2013 Australia 84.93, New Zealand 88.02 ARGENTINA (6) 84.40 v SOUTH AFRICA (1) 91.62<\/p>\n Argentina win by 15 points or less \u2013 Argentina 85.82, South Africa 90.20
Australia win by more than 15 points \u2013 Australia 85.56, New Zealand 87.39
Draw \u2013 Australia 83.93, New Zealand 89.02
New Zealand win by 15 points or less \u2013 Australia 82.93, New Zealand 90.02
New Zealand win by more than 15 points \u2013 Australia 82.56, New Zealand 90.39<\/p>\n
Argentina win by more than 15 points \u2013 Argentina 86.53, South Africa 89.49
Draw \u2013 Argentina 84.82, South Africa 91.20
South Africa win by 15 points or less \u2013 Argentina 83.82, South Africa 92.20
South Africa win by more than 15 points \u2013 Argentina 83.53, South Africa 92.49<\/p>\n