Wallabies drop in rankings

Tue, Jun 20, 2017, 12:23 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
The Wallabies will have no excuses not to come out swinging against Italy at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon. They were joined at training today by Jeff Horn who will fight for the world welterweight title against superstar Manny Pacquiao.

The Wallabies have slipped in the world rankings after a dismal loss to Scotland, but their drop is not as dramatic as predicted.

While some permutations could have seen the Wallabies drop from third down to sixth, their actual downgrade has been just one spot, back to fourth.

Ireland’s 50-22 win over Japan has put them into third, leapfrogging the Wallabies, while Scotland’s sixth has turned to fifth.

Scotland’s rise came at the expense of South Africa, with the Springboks down to sixth despite beating France at home on the weekend.

The All Blacks still lead the pack, with England four points behind, though the top two have a big gap on the Irish in third.

Wales, France, Fiji and Argentina round out the top 10.

RANKINGS

1. New Zealand (94.78) (-)

2. England (90.14)

3. Ireland (85.09)

4. Australia (84.63)

5. Scotland (83.90)

6. South Africa (83.63)

7. Wales (81.45)

8. France (80.16)

9. Argentina (79.31)

10. Fiji (76.63)

Share
Italy have been forced into a host of changes for their clash with the Wallabies. Photo: Getty Images
Depleted Italy make nine changes for Australia Test
The Wallabies face Italy in Perth. Photo: Getty Images
Wallabies v Italy: How to watch Test in Australia, teams, fixtures and more
Declan Meredith has been backed by coach Joe Schmidt to deliver for the Wallabies. Photo: Getty Images
Schmidt backs in Meredith ahead of Wallabies farewell
Italian-heritage flanker Carlo Tizzano is excited to press his claims as the permanent Wallabies openside flanker. Photo: Getty Images
Italian stallion: Tizzano ready to honour roots, fight for starting Wallabies spot