New Zealand have moved closer to South Africa in the World Rugby rankings after they thrashed Australia 50-19 at Eden Park to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
The Wallabies arrived at the clash on the back of a five-match unbeaten run, but Dave Rennie’s side were outplayed. Tries from Tom Wright and Harry Wilson kept Australia in touch, and the All Blacks led 17-14 at the break. They then pulled away in the second half.
Peter Lakai and Tupou Vaa’i scored for New Zealand in the first half. In the final 40 minutes, Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby and Will Jordan all crossed the whitewash. The result extended the All Blacks’ unbeaten run at Eden Park, which dates back to 1994.
How the Bledisloe Cup impacted the standings
With a winning margin of 31 points, New Zealand added 0.66 to their rating, rising from 91.15 to 91.81. That leaves them just over a point behind South Africa, who sit on 93.09.
The gap was almost four points after the All Blacks won Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry 3-1, taking three consecutive Tests to overcome Rennie’s side. It has since narrowed significantly, following the Wallabies’ win over the Boks in late September and New Zealand’s victory on Saturday.
If they win next weekend’s Test, the All Blacks could finish the year as the world’s number one ranked team.
The Springboks face tougher fixtures on paper in the Nations Championship, with trips to Ireland and France in November.
Australia remain sixth despite the heavy defeat. They drop from 85.55 to 84.89, which leaves them just 0.11 ahead of Scotland in seventh, on 84.78. Another loss next weekend would see the Wallabies slip behind the Scots and face a tough task in the Nations Championship.
Australia could have moved into fourth with a win by more than 15 points, which would have been their highest ranking since November 2021. That outcome was never realistic.
World Rugby men’s rankings
| Position | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 93.09 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 91.81 |
| 3 | Ireland | 88.08 |
| 4 | France | 87.43 |
| 5 | England | 85.68 |
| 6 | Australia | 84.89 |
| 7 | Scotland | 84.78 |
| 8 | Argentina | 82.24 |
| 9 | Japan | 77.28 |
| 10 | Fiji | 76.81 |
| 11 | Wales | 76.38 |
| 12 | Italy | 76.30 |
| 13 | Georgia | 73.94 |
| 14 | Portugal | 69.39 |
| 15 | USA | 67.58 |
| 16 | Chile | 66.94 |
| 17 | Spain | 66.83 |
| 18 | Uruguay | 65.75 |
| 19 | Tonga | 65.14 |
| 20 | Samoa | 64.73 |