World Rugby Men's Rankings preview

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for this week's opening rounds of the Men's Six Nations and Rugby Europe Men's Championship.

Permutation highlights:

• England cannot improve their rating with victory over Wales due to the 15.18 points differential before home weighting is taken into consideration.
• However, England could slip a place even if they beat Wales, as an Ireland win by more than 15 points over France on Thursday would see them surpass England’s rating total.
• A draw for England would have the same outcome for a victorious Ireland.
• England could fall another place to fifth if they lose by more than 15 points and France beat Ireland in the tournament opener, a scenario which would see the two sides swap places.
• France are guaranteed to climb above Ireland if victorious at the Stade de France.
• It is not possible for England, Ireland or France to catch New Zealand in second place.
• Scotland will drop to 10th, and be overtaken by Italy, if they lose to the Azzurri in Rome.
• Ninth place is the highest that Italy can climb to this weekend.
• A win will lift Scotland above Fiji into eighth place, but they will also leapfrog Australia if the winning margin is more than 15 points.
• Wales can only return to the top 10 if they beat England by more than 15 points and Italy are beaten by the same margin at home.
• Champions Georgia head into another Rugby Europe Men’s Championship title defence as the highest-ranked team in the competition in 13th.
• They face Switzerland in their first game and with 15 places and nearly 18 points separating the teams, the Lelos will not be rewarded in the rankings for a win.
• Romania can only make minimal gains for beating hosts Germany, a side ranked 11.13 points and 13 places below them before home weighting is factored in.
• The 0.28-point maximum gain for a win by more than 15 points is not enough on its own for an improvement on 22nd place as Belgium would also need to lose at home to Portugal to drop below the Oaks.
• Spain and Portugal, the two other semi-finalists in last year’s Rugby Europe Men’s Championship, also begin their campaigns on the road with only the latter able to improve their position with a win.
• Los Leones can only close to 0.03 behind 14th-ranked Uruguay in victory, while defeat could see them drop as many as four places to 19 depending on the margin.
• A first win on Belgian soil for more than a decade will be enough for Portugal to jump Samoa providing the margin is more than 15 points.
• Belgium, playing their first test since missing out on Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 qualification in December, will enter the top 20 for the first time if they win by more than 15 points.
• The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland will all gain points and places if they spring a surprise and come out on top in their fixtures.
• A new low awaits Romania if beaten by Germany with a fall of at least one place to 23rd.