The Springboks have slipped further down the World Rugby rankings following their 24-17 defeat to the All Black at Eden Park.
South Africa started the Rugby Championship at the summit of the Rugby Championship, but they surrendered that position in round one following their shock defeat to Australia at Ellis Park.
Springboks fall down the rankings
That result, paired with New Zealand’s win over Argentina, saw the All Blacks return to the number one ranking for the first time under Scott Robertson.
Wins for Argentina and South Africa in round two did not see the Springboks reclaim spot, and after a loss to New Zealand at Eden Park, Rassie Erasmus’ charges have fallen to third position.
Ireland have moved into second place with Robertson’s side increasing their lead at the top after earning 0.63 rating points after defeating South Africa, who lost the same number of points.
In the earlier round three encounter, Australia defeated Argentina 28-24 thanks to a late Angus Bell try. That win sees the Wallabies retain sixth position for now as their 0.55 rating points earned are not enough to surpass fifth-ranked England.
As for Los Pumas, they remain in seventh position despite losing 0.55 points.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s win over Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup saw the former gain 0.06 rating points. While the Fijians did not move up the rankings because of the result, they have closed the gap on eighth-place Scotland to 1.01 rating points.
Fiji’s victory also means that Tonga have now officially qualified for the semi-finals and joins Fiji as the second nation from the Pacific Islands to secure their place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Tonga’s strong start to their PNC campaign with a convincing 30-16 win over rivals Samoa in Nuku’alofa was enough to finish second in Pool A and secure a spot in the semi-finals together with defending champions Fiji.
The Pacific Nations Cup 2025 not only crowns a champion but also serves as a pivotal pathway to the expanded 24-team Rugby World Cup in 2027. With Fiji and Japan already pre-qualified from RWC 2023, the three best non-qualified teams secure direct passage to Australia 2027. Tonga are the 19th team to punch their tickets for rugby’s pinnacle competition and will take part in their 10th Rugby World Cup, having competed in all editions except for 1991.
All Blacks power past error-ridden Springboks to extend unbeaten Eden Park record
Latest World Rugby rankings
As of 06/09/2025 (before Uruguay v Chile and USA v Japan)
1 New Zealand 91.35 (+0.63)
2 Ireland 89.83
3 South Africa 89.38 (-0.63)
4 France 87.82
5 England 87.64
6 Australia 85.40 (+0.55)
7 Argentina 82.84 (-0.55)
8 Scotland 81.57
9 Fiji 80.56 (+0.06)
10 Italy 77.77
11 Georgia 74.69
12 Wales 74.05
13 Japan 72.29
14 Samoa 71.08 (-0.06)
15 Spain 69.12
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