See below for a table indicating exactly how this weekend's result could affect teams' ratings points. The end of year tests are always fiercely contested affairs but this year there’s an added incentive with victories vital in a bid to get the best possible seeding for the Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool Allocation Draw on December 3.
The IRB World Rankings will be used to rank the 12 directly qualified teams for England 2015 into three bands for that draw with the sides ranked one to four in band one - and crucially avoiding each other until the knockout stages - those five to eight in band two and the remaining four in band three.
If the Pool Allocation Draw was to happen today (26 November), the bands would be as follows:
Band 1: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, France
Band 2: England, Ireland, Wales, Samoa
Band 3: Argentina, Italy, Tonga, Scotland
Band 4: Oceania 1, Europe 1, Asia 1, Americas 1
Band 5: Africa 1, Europe 2, Americas 2, Repechage winner
Only four automatically qualified teams are in action this weekend. Below is a table of exactly how this weekend's results could affect the automatically qualified teams' ratings points.
England v New Zealand, Twickenham
Current rating: England 81.07; New Zealand 92.91
If home team wins by more than 15 points: Eng 83.90; NZ 90.08
If home team wins by 15 points or less: Eng 82.95; NZ 91.03
If away team wins by 15 points or less: Eng 80.95; NZ 93.03
If away team wins by more than 15 points: Eng 80.90; NZ 93.08
If it’s a tie: Eng 81.95; NZ 92.03
Wales v Australia, Cardiff
Current rating: Wales 78.95; Australia 86.31
If home team wins by more than 15 points: Wal 81.11; Aus 84.16
If home team wins by 15 points or less: Wal 80.39; Aus 84.87
If away team wins by 15 points or less: Wal 78.39; Aus 86.87
If away team wins by more than 15 points: Wal 78.11; Aus 87.16
If it’s a tie: Wal 79.39; Aus 85.87