New World Rugby rankings table published as Wales climb and England drop after shock defeat

Wales' 21-16 victory over Ireland on Sunday afternoon not only got their Six Nations campaign off to an impressive start but also boosted their world ranking.

Under head coach Wayne Pivac, Wales slumped from fourth in the world to ninth after a dismal 2020 but they're now moving in the right direction.

That tense victory over Ireland has seen Pivac's side overtake Argentina and take eighth spot in the rankings. They do, however, still trail Six Nations rivals England, France, Ireland and Scotland.

But events at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon, where Scotland claimed a famous win over Eddie Jones' side, have also impacted on things.

It's led to England slipping to third and being overtaken by New Zealand, despite the All Blacks not playing any rugby this weekend.

There were no other tangible changes to the rankings but Scotland, in seventh place, edged closer to Australia, who sit above them.

Looking ahead to the next round of fixtures, Wales will jump above Scotland into seventh if they win at Murrayfield on Saturday.

However, a Scottish victory next weekend will see them jump ahead of Australia and into sixth place and Wales would drop back down to ninth.

Ireland, meanwhile, can overtake France and move into fourth if they win by at least 16 points, however unlikely that may seem.

Current top 10

1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. France
5. Ireland
6. Australia
7. Scotland
8. WALES
   
9. Argentina
10. Japan