Wales have overtaken Pool A rivals England in the latest World Rugby rankings after their win away in Ireland on Saturday.
As a result they jump up to fifth in the world, with England down in sixth, while Ireland also drop a spot as a result of the loss, slipping behind Australia into third.
The defeat to Wales, three weeks after a comfortable win over the same opposition, cost Ireland 1.7 rating points, leaving them on 85.19 points, 1.48 points adrift of the Wallabies. New Zealand are comfortably on top, a position they have occupied since November 2009, with 92.89 points.
Wales’ first victory in Dublin for three years saw their rating total improve by 1.69 points to 84.63 – less than four tenths more than the RWC 2015 hosts.
While Scotland’s RWC 2015 preparations gained some momentum with a high-tempo, six-try display against Italy at Murrayfield, there wasn’t much movement in their rating points, the 48-7 win only earning them a fraction over a third of a point. Scotland are still ranked as the 10th best team in the world.
Japan's 40-0 win over Uruguay at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo did not affect either side's rankings poisition or points total.
The Asian champions ran in six unanswered tries, three in each half, to sweep to a 2-0 series win against the South Americans after beating their fellow RWC 2015 competitors 30-8 in Fukuoka seven days earlier. They remain in 14th position with Uruguay back in 19th.
World Rugby Rankings:
1 New Zealand - 92.89
2 Australia - 86.67
3 Ireland - 85.19
4 South Africa - 85.15
5 Wales - 84.63
6 England - 84.24
7 France - 80.90
8 Argentina - 78.39
9 Fiji - 77.04
10 Scotland - 76.10
11 Tonga - 75.25
12 Samoa - 75.14
13 Georgia - 72.16
14 Japan - 71.15
15 Italy - 70.53
16 USA - 70.36
17 Romania - 66.73
18 Canada - 63.28
19 Uruguay - 62.11
20 Namibia - 61.85
With thanks to World Rugby
