A month after being dethroned by South Africa, New Zealand are back on top of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings.
Saturday’s 54-16 win over Wales earned them 0.39 of a rating point which was enough to take them above the Springboks, who now trail New Zealand by 0.23 of a point.
Fittingly, Beauden Barrett produced a man-of-the-match performance on his 100th cap, scoring the first and last of his side’s seven tries.
TJ Perenara, Will Jordan, Dalton Papali’i, Sevu Reece and Anton Lienert-Brown also crossed for the All Blacks with Jordie Barrett kicking 19 points.
Fiji is currently the highest ranking Pacific rugby nation – at 11th place after Japan. Samoa is at 13th place and Tonga in 15th place. Cook Islands is on 54, ahead of Guam on 73rd place. Papua New Guinea is on 83rd position, Niue at 98th place, one place ahead of Tahiti. Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and American Samoa are placed 104, 109 and 110 places respectively.
Papua New Guinea is the only Pacific nation to fall one place in its ranking, from 82nd place to 83rd.
SOURCE: WORLD RUGBY/PACNEWS
