Italy make historic leap in world rankings ahead of crunch Wales clash
Italy have been richly rewarded for their impressive 31-29 win over Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday by climbing to ninth in the world rankings.
Gonzalo Quesada's side stunned a Championship-chasing Scotland at the Stadio Olimpico, overturning a 22-16 deficit at half-time to record their first home win in the tournament in eleven years.
Off the back of a 13-13 draw with France in Lille in round three of the Championship, the Azzurri have moved up one place in the world rankings, leapfrogging Australia. This is the first time since the rankings began that Italy have been above the Wallabies, who in turn have slumped to their lowest-ever rank.
Italy will head to Cardiff in the final round of the Championship knowing that a win will see them climb above Warren Gatland's side in the rankings into eighth place, which will be level with their highest-ever position.
With Wales now the only winless team in the competition, and four points behind Italy in the table, they will go into the match on Saturday desperate to avoid earning the Wooden Spoon for the first time since 2003. The rankings permutations have only added extra drama to what is shaping up to be a pivotal fixture on many levels.
Another rankings shake-up could occur on Saturday as fourth-place France host fifth place England in Lyon. With a slender margin between the two sides going into Super Saturday, England will be able to leapfrog Les Bleus and break into the top four with a win at the Groupama Stadium following their victory over Ireland in round four.
Guinness Six Nations Greatest XV
The experts have made their picks, now it's up to you - pick your best all-time Guinness Six Nations XV with our Six Nations Greatest XV Picker. Share and compare picks with the RugbyPass community!
Latest Comments
REACH OUT TO TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY FOR A GREAT JOB
WhatsApp +15617263697
Fine wine and crypto do not always blend well, especially after a few drinks. I learned this the hard way after a record harvest at my vineyard. Swirling an old Cabernet under the stars, I was a financial connoisseur, my $720,000 Bitcoin wallet aging well for future returns. But the next morning, with a hangover as intense as my Merlion, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet password. Even worse, my recovery phrase, which I'd written down in my wine cellar notebook, had vanished. My eager new assistant had tidied up, mistaking my scribbled security notes for wine tasting spillage, and donated the entire book to the recycling gods. I dove into the garbage cans like a desperate sommelier searching for a quality grape but came up with broken dreams and soggy cardboard. Panic set in faster than cork taint. I faced the bitter truth: my digital fortune was bottled up tighter than a corked bottle with no opener. I sank into denial, questioning whether my future vineyard expansion would now be reduced to selling boxed wine. I panicked, pored over industry publications, and came across a wine industry newsletter that mentioned Tech Cyber Force Recovery. Their slogan, something playful about "decanting lost crypto," seemed like a sign from God. I contacted them, half-expecting snobbery or skepticism. What I received instead were tech wizards who tackled my case with humor and precision. Their team labored over my case like veteran sommeliers dissecting terroir. They painstakingly reconstructed transaction flows, timestamp records, and subtle wallet behavior. It was as if I was watching wine connoisseurs sniff out hints of blackcurrant and oak, but with algorithms and blockchain forensics. Each day, they provided updates with the finesse of tasting notes. “We’re detecting progress, notes of potential access, hints of password recovery on the finish.” Their creativity lightened my anxiety, and ten days later, they uncorked my digital vault. When I saw my Bitcoin balance restored, I nearly opened a bottle of my best vintage at 9 AM. My assistant and I shared a hearty laugh; he's still working for me, but now he labels my ledgers with "DO NOT TOUCH" in bold. My wine business is thriving thanks to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, and I have a new rule: passwords before Pinot. Cheers to their genius!
Go to commentsWe have to move on from last week. The team did. Chay Fihaki is playing great.Noah Hotham and outside him TahaKemara , fantastic. Tom Christie , the ultimate unsung hero, as Matt Todd was.Crisian Lio-Willie andAntonio Shalfoon , returned and showed what we missed last week.
Go to comments