Big Ireland win sees Wales benefit in World Rugby rankings

Ireland’s 43-19 victory over Japan in Cork has seen Wales return to 11th in the World Rugby rankings.

On Saturday afternoon, Eilis Cahill, Brittany Hogan, Neve Jones, Anna McGann, Beibhinn Parsons, Alana McInerney and Sophie Barrett all crossed the whitewash at Virgin Media Park to rack up an impressive win.

The victory means that Ireland have now won two of their three fixtures so far this autumn. Their most recent fixture against Japan took place out of the WXV Global Series window, just one week after they beat the Sakura Fifteen 31-24 in Galway.

To start their WXV Global Series campaign, Ireland surrendered a 19-point lead against the USA Women’s Eagles in Dublin and lost 40-36.

Now, Ireland head coach Scott Bemand will prepare his team for a two-fixture WXV Global Series clash with the Springbok Women.

“Having a two-and-a-half-three-week tour to Africa is well placed at the right time for us,” Bemand said at full-time on Saturday.

“We’ve got some learnings from some of the last three weeks that we’ve got to take over there to a completely different physical challenge. But in two weeks, we’ll be ready.”

Ireland’s victory has seen Wales retake 11th place in the World Rugby rankings.

Three weeks ago, Wales took that position thanks to their 50-19 victory against the Springbok Women in their opening WXV Global Series fixture of the autumn before later being displaced by Japan to 12th.

Heading into their second fixture against Ireland, the Sakura Fifteen could have moved up to their joint all-time high of 10th in the rankings with a win of 15 points or more in Cork.

Ahead of the fixture, Ireland could not have advanced beyond fifth place in the rankings.

Elsewhere, South Africa were unable to improve on 10th place in the World Rugby rankings with their 20-0 win against Spain in Seville.