Full IRB ranking

spot on chippo

I wonder if a loss to Wales will drop us below Scotland. This year we haven’t beaten a team ranked better than 8.

I am not sure how the world rankings operate, but I think SA will drop below Scotland. Does a team's world rankings only improve if you beat a team that is above you? And only decline if you lose to a team lower than you. If SA loses to Wales are points deducted for losing to a team that is lower than SA. Scotland would not increase points for the Boks losing to Wales, but points are deducted for losing to a team that is lower than SA. (in this instance Wales). So, in theory, a team points cant change unless they play a game, but they can move position as a result of other games.

From Wiki: All World Rugby member countries have been given a rating that is in the range of 0 to 100 with the top side achieving a rating of about 90 points. The point system is calculated using a 'Points Exchange' system, in which sides receive points from each other based upon the match result – whatever one side gains, the other loses. The exchanges are based on the match result, the ranking of each team, and the margin of victory, with an allowance for home advantage. As the system aims to depict current team strengths, past successes or losses will fade and be superseded by more recent results. Thus, it is thought that it will produce an accurate picture depicting the actual current strength and thus rank of the nations.[3] The rankings are responsive to results and it is possible to climb to the top from the bottom (and vice versa) in fewer than 20 matches. As all matches are worth a net of 0 points for the two teams combined, there is no particular advantage to playing more matches. A rating stays the same until the team plays again. Although matches often result in points exchanges, 'predictable' results lead to very minor changes, and may result in no change to either side's rating.

There is a calculator available to predict movements on the rankings. https://rawling.github.io/wr-calc/

Thanks Vlag ....I used the calculator. If we draw 15 to 15 we remain at 5. If we lose 16 to 15 to Wales we drop to 6 and Scotland replaces us. If we win 16 to 15 we just slip ahead of Australia into 4th place.

Scotland should be ahead of us in the rankings...and we should lose by more than a few points against Wales...but Rugby is a funny old game...

Looks like we will end the year ranked 6.

@Moz. Yeah we will probably end the year at six but that could all turn even more sour early in the new year. We have the 6N coming up remember. A good showing by both Wales and the Scottish could see them ahead of us come April.

Two draws against OZ, very narrow loss to wee abs and now this unfortunate loss to Wales due also to a try that was disallowed. In addition to his limitations Alistair has had bad luck.

There is no such thing as a try that was disallowed. It is either a try or not a try.

That happened early in the game....no guarantees of anything after that. Hard to argue Wales didn’t deserve their win.

It wasn't a try, but it shoyld have been. Their second try was a try, but it should not have been. That's rugby. It happens all the time. Errors by players and officials with potential influence on the outcome of matches. All that counts is what the scoreboard said at the end of the match. Tough luck boys, but we didn't cover ourselves in glory. We could have won and we did OK by coming back from far behind, but we didn't do it. Let's wait for next year to be disappointed again! (the cynical side)...as opposed to: "We only lost to NZ, Ireland and Wales this year!!!" Kak progress is still progress?