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Any of 4 nations could be world No.1 after this weekend
By Kim Ekin
Any one of four nations can end the weekend ranked number one – with Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa all able to grab the top spot.
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Les Bleus will assume top spot if they beat Japan and Ireland fail to beat Australia – unless the All Blacks also defeat England by more than 15 points. Such a scenario will see the All Blacks return to number one and Ireland drop down to third.
If New Zealand win by more than 15 points, they will still climb above a victorious France as Les Bleus cannot improve their rating with victory due to the 12.61 rating points between the two sides before home weighting is factored in.
Ireland cannot improve their rating with victory over Australia due to the 9.99 points between the sides before home weighting is factored in.
The Boks can climb to second if they beat Italy by more than 15 points, Ireland lose by the same margin and France are also beaten.
South Africa must win by more than 15 points and hope that France, New Zealand and Ireland are all beaten – the latter by more than 15 points – to return to number one.
England will climb above South Africa – who they play the following weekend – if they beat NZ and the Boks lose to Italy with one of the margins being by more than 15 points.
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However, Eddie Jones’ side can drop to seventh if they lose by more than 15 points and Australia and Argentina win by the same margin in Dublin and Edinburgh.
Italy will return to the top ten for the first time since June 2013 if they beat South Africa and Japan lose to France. The Azzurri could equal their highest ever ranking of eighth – a position they last occupied briefly in August 2007 – if they win by more than 15 points and Australia, Scotland and Wales all lose by the same margin.
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland must beat Argentina by more than 15 points to be the higher ranked of the two nations as a smaller margin will leave them 0.05 rating points behind Los Pumas.
