2025 'first' gives Boks a route back to the top of World Rankings

The Springboks will be rewarded for a victory in the World Rugby Rankings for the first time this year if they can overturn last weekend’s result in Johannesburg and beat the Wallabies in the return match at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

In their first three Test matches of 2025, the Springboks’ rating did not get any form of a boost, as the victories were against teams well below them in the rankings.

The Springboks beat Italy twice and then Georgia, and would have remained stuck on 92.78 points even if they had beaten Australia in the opening round of The Rugby Championship, due to the 10.70 points differential between the teams before home advantage was even taken into consideration.

Rassie Erasmus had plenty of time to digest the Ellis Park defeat

The Springboks are determined to find that perfect balance in their game when they face the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday.

Rassie Erasmus had plenty of time to digest the Ellis Park defeat

The Springboks are determined to find that perfect balance in their game when they face the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday.

As it was, the Springboks threw away a 22-0 lead to lose 22-38, and three points have been cut from their rating, resulting in them falling to third in the rankings.

It may only be a small crumb of comfort to Boks’ fans still reeling from last week’s defeat, but the six-point swing in favour of the Wallabies has brought the teams close enough for this weekend’s match to count in rankings terms.

The most the Sporingboks can gain is 0.34 points – for a victory of more than 15 points, but that will be good enough for them to be restored at the top of the rankings if accompanied by a defeat for the All Blacks of similarly large proportions against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Admittedly, this would appear unlikely given they have never lost by so many points to Los Pumas and won 41-27 when the sides met in Cordoba last Saturday.

A repeat of last weekend’s scorelines would spell bad news for the Boks, as it would see them crash from first to sixth in the space of a fortnight.

South Africa’s lowest-ever ranking is seventh, a position that they last held in September 2018. A narrower defeat for South Africa will not lead to any changes in either their present position or Australia’s.

If they can repeat last week’s heroics with another emphatic victory, RWC 2027 hosts Australia will climb to fourth, their best ranking in nearly four years.

A big win for Los Pumas over the All Blacks will see Ireland back on top of the rankings for the first time since November last year if accompanied by a draw between South Africa and Australia.

Argentina cannot improve their ranking this weekend, but will cede seventh place to Scotland if they lose.