World Rugby Men's Rankings preview

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for the men's internationals played across Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas this weekend.

Permutation highlights:

• Three teams could all be ranked number one by the end of a busy weekend of test rugby where 10 matches will be played across five continents.
• South Africa currently occupy top spot on 92.78 rating points, but their 2.42-point cushion over New Zealand in second will be wiped out if they lose to Italy for only the second time in  history.
• A shock defeat to the Azzurri will see the Springboks slip from top spot, a position they have held since mid-November last year.
• South Africa will be replaced by whoever emerges victorious from the first of three tests between New Zealand and France if they slip up in Pretoria.
• However, victory may not be enough for Italy to improve on 10th place, unless it comes in tandem with a Fiji loss to Australia on Sunday.
• If Fiji do win then Italy need one of the margins to be by more than 15 points for them to climb to ninth at the expense of the Wallabies, who would drop two to 10th.
• Neither South Africa nor Ireland are able to improve their rating by beating sides significantly lower than them in the rankings.
• New Zealand will drop two places to fourth if they lose to France and Ireland beat Georgia.
• France are unable to drop from fourth place even if they lose by more than 15 points as the closest a victorious Argentina side can get to them this weekend is 2.61 points.
• England will climb above their hosts Argentina into fifth if they avoid defeat, while Fiji will take over eighth place from Australia if they are victorious in their meeting in Newcastle.
• The Wallabies are also unable to improve their position this weekend, albeit only just as a victory by more than 15 points would see them behind Scotland – who face the Maori All Blacks this weekend – by mere thousandths of a rating point with both on 82.36 points.
• Japan will climb above Wales for the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2003 if they win the first match of the two-test series in Kitakyushu.
• An 18th consecutive test defeat for Wales would see them fall another two places to a new low of 14th with Japan and Samoa the beneficiaries.
• Japan will slip below Samoa if beaten by Wales, while their visitors must win by more than 15 points and hope Georgia lose to Ireland in order to climb swap places with the Lelos.
• An historic win for Georgia in Tbilisi against Ireland will not come with any positional gain.
• USA cannot improve their rating with victory over Belgium given the 10.04-point difference between the teams before home weighting is factored in.
• The Men’s Eagles will only surrender 15th place if they lose by more than 15 points, a scenario that would see Belgium climb to a new high of 21st providing Chile don’t beat Romania by the same margin.
• Chile will enter the top 20 for the first time if they beat Romania by more than 15 points.
• Hong Kong China cannot equal their own high of 21st this weekend but their sole focus will be beating Korea to qualify for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Asia.
• A win for Korea on home soil will see them regain the ground lost following their defeat to the United Arab Emirates a fortnight ago.
• The UAE, who are currently at an all-time high of 43rd, will continue to raise the bar if can finish the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025 on a high with victory over Sri Lanka.