{"id":25838,"date":"2025-08-29T12:23:54","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T10:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=25838"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:56:27","slug":"world-rugby-rankings-springboks-eye-no-1-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/world-rugby-rankings-springboks-eye-no-1-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"World Rugby Rankings: Springboks Eye No.1 Spot After All Blacks Test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Springboks have climbed to second place in the latest World Rugby Rankings after their gritty 30-22 victory over Australia at the DHL Stadium. The result not only restored momentum in their Rugby Championship campaign but also narrowed the gap on New Zealand, who suffered a shock defeat to Argentina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, the All Blacks sit on 90.72 points, but their lead is under pressure as the Boks trail closely with 90.01 points. Ireland, who had been ranked second, slipped down to third with 89.83 points. With the margins razor-thin, the coming clash between South Africa and New Zealand in Auckland is shaping up to be season-defining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Updated World Rugby Rankings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Rank<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>Points<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>New Zealand<\/td><td>90.72<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>South Africa<\/td><td>90.01<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Ireland<\/td><td>89.83<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>France<\/td><td>87.82<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>England<\/td><td>87.64<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Australia<\/td><td>84.85<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Argentina<\/td><td>83.40<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Scotland<\/td><td>81.57<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>Fiji<\/td><td>80.50<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>Italy<\/td><td>77.77<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>Georgia<\/td><td>74.69<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>Wales<\/td><td>74.05<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>Japan<\/td><td>72.29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>Samoa<\/td><td>71.08<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>Spain<\/td><td>69.12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>Uruguay<\/td><td>67.52<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>Tonga<\/td><td>66.87<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>USA<\/td><td>66.68<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>Portugal<\/td><td>66.44<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>Chile<\/td><td>63.83<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Also read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/rugby-championship-2025-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rugby Championship 2025 Guide: Springbok Selections and Key Fixtures<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2874426748\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-all-blacks-stunned-by-los-pumas\">All Blacks Stunned by Los Pumas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>New Zealand\u2019s unexpected 29-23 loss to Argentina has sent ripples through the rugby world. Los Pumas produced a spirited performance to claim a famous victory on home soil, cutting New Zealand\u2019s once comfortable advantage at the top. The defeat has given the Springboks an opening, with Rassie Erasmus\u2019 men now within striking distance of the top spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time in months, the rankings are balanced on a knife-edge, with less than a point separating first and second place. This adds further spice to next weekend\u2019s clash at Eden Park, where the Boks have never beaten the All Blacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-shifts-in-the-top-20\">Shifts in the Top 20<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the top three, the weekend\u2019s results brought a reshuffle across the top 20. France and England retained fourth and fifth positions respectively, while Australia remained sixth despite their loss in Cape Town. Argentina\u2019s famous win consolidated seventh spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elsewhere, Japan moved up to 13th, overtaking Samoa, which slipped to 14th. Uruguay rose from 17th to 16th, while Tonga climbed to 17th after leapfrogging both the USA and Portugal. The Americans fell two places to 18th, with Portugal dropping to 19th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Highlights: Springboks vs Australia in Cape Town\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8GyWhD8maxE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-678217007\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-erasmus-focused-on-acclimatisation\">Erasmus Focused on Acclimatisation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Springboks arrived in Auckland earlier this week with a 36-man squad and their coaching team, determined to settle quickly into the new environment. With New Zealand 10 hours ahead of South Africa, time zone adjustment has been high on the agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe travelled well, and although it\u2019s a long trip to New Zealand, we are excited to be here and looking forward to the challenge ahead,\u201d said head coach Rassie Erasmus. \u201cIt\u2019s always tough playing here, but the group is in good spirits, and we are fully aware of the magnitude of the task ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Erasmus stressed the importance of acclimatising swiftly: \u201cThe time zone and conditions are obviously very different from back home, so it\u2019s important that we settle in quickly to ensure we are sharp at training and ready to be at our best by the time we face the All Blacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-workloads-carefully\">Managing Workloads Carefully<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Boks endured two physically demanding encounters against Australia, losing 38-22 in Johannesburg before bouncing back with a 30-22 win in Cape Town. Erasmus revealed that player management will be crucial ahead of the double-header against New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve worked out our training schedule this week in a way that would allow the players to recover, while at the same time steadily get into the swing of things for the next two matches,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe will have only two training sessions this week and then go full throttle into normal Test match mode from Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Also read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/boks-to-make-it-five-in-a-row-against-all-blacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rassie: Boks Fired Up to Make It Five in a Row Against All Blacks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1368296865\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-high-stakes-in-auckland-and-wellington\">High Stakes in Auckland and Wellington<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/sport\/rugby\/player-management-key-says-rassie-boks-auckland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The first showdown<\/a> against the All Blacks takes place next Saturday at Eden Park, followed by a second Test at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 13 September. Both matches kick off at 9.05am South African time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After their tour of New Zealand, the Springboks will return home to face Argentina in Durban on 27 September before concluding their Rugby Championship campaign against the Pumas in London on 4 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-boks-eye-top-spot\">Boks Eye Top Spot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the rankings now tighter than ever, the upcoming clashes with New Zealand could decide who claims the world number one position. Victory in Auckland would not only break a long-standing hoodoo for the Springboks but also propel them within reach of the coveted top spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/full-strength-squad-set-against-all-blacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Springboks Ready to Fire: Full-Strength Squad Set to Clash with All Blacks<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Springboks have climbed to second place in the latest World Rugby Rankings after their gritty 30-22 victory over Australia at the DHL Stadium. The result not only restored momentum in their Rugby Championship campaign but also narrowed the gap on New Zealand, who suffered a shock defeat to Argentina. Currently, the All Blacks sit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":26052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"The Springboks have climbed to second place in the latest World Rugby Rankings after their gritty 30-22 victory over Australia at the DHL Stadium. The result...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[1341,415,352],"class_list":{"0":"post-25838","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-rugby-news","10":"tag-sa-rugby","11":"tag-sa-sports-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25838"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25839,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25838\/revisions\/25839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}