A nine-point victory over England at Twickenham has seen the Springboks settle at the top of World Rugby’s rankings ahead of the final Test of the year.
A try in each half from Kolbe saw the Springboks earn their 10th win of the year with a 29-20 victory against a desperate England side in London.
Having returned to the top of the rankings by beating Scotland at Murrayfield, the Springboks have further rooted themselves in first place, increasing their lead to 2 ranking points.
Rassie Erasmus’ charges next face 11th-ranked Wales in their final Test of the year in Cardiff, with Warren Gatland’s side having suffered a record 11th consecutive defeat to the Wallabies.
The only positional change to the top 10 sees Ireland leapfrog New Zealand into second place after holding out for a three-point win against Argentina in Dublin. The All Blacks were given a 1,13 ranking points deficit, after their defeat to France in a thrilling encounter in Paris.
Fourth-placed Les Bleus closed the gap on New Zealand after gaining 1,13 points for their victory.
Meanwhile, eighth-placed Australia closed in on seventh-placed England after earning 1,04 ranking points for their thrashing of Wales in Cardiff. Just 0,14 points separate England from the Wallabies, with Steve Borthwick’s side having now lost three games in a row.
World Rugby rankings:
1. South Africa 92,78
2. Ireland 90,78
3. New Zealand 90,09
4. France 88,08
5. Argentina 85,40
6. Scotland 82,70
7. England 82,31
8. Australia 82,17
9. Fiji 80,07
10. Italy 78,92
Photo: Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
The post Twickenham-conquering Boks entrench top spot appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
