The aftermath of the second round of the 2026 Six Nations has once again stirred the pot in the World Rugby rankings, with significant shifts among the top contenders. Italy and Scotland swapped ranks yet again while England took a stumble down the pecking order.
In an intense weekend, Italy, fresh from their Roman triumph, marched into Dublin aiming for a historic upset. Despite a valiant effort, they succumbed 13-20 to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. The match's outcome didn't affect the Italians' points due to the pre-game ratings differential, keeping their loss from being more detrimental. However, they did slide to tenth as Scotland, riding high from their Calcutta Cup victory over England, snatched the ninth spot by gaining 1.70 points.
Scotland's win not only boosted their ranking but also sent ripples through the standings as England fell below France into fourth place. France, despite their dominant 54-12 dispatching of Wales, remained static in their points tally.
Meanwhile, in other rugby action, Georgia demolished the Netherlands 61-12 in the Rugby Europe Championship, a victory that, while impressive, didn't impact the ratings due to the existing points difference between the teams.
"Had Ben Earl not scored a late try for England, Scotland could have climbed even higher. This victory, though, is a testament to our resilience and tactical prowess,"
noted Scotland's coach, reflecting on the narrowly missed opportunity for a bigger leap in the rankings.The updated rankings now see South Africa still leading the pack, followed by New Zealand and France, with England now trailing just behind in fourth. The rest of the rankings saw little to no movement, maintaining a status quo among the world's rugby elite.
This weekend's shake-up underscores the volatile nature of international rugby rankings and sets the stage for more thrilling encounters as the Six Nations progresses.
Latest World Rugby Rankings:
- South Africa 93.94
- New Zealand 90.33
- France 88.40
- England 87.71
- Ireland 86.81
- Argentina 84.97
- Australia 81.53
- Fiji 81.14
- Scotland 81.10
- Italy 79.81