Thursday night’s 36–14 hammering at the hands of France in Paris has dumped Andy Farrell’s side down to fifth in the World Rugby rankings, their lowest position in almost four years.
It’s the first time Ireland have occupied that spot since March 2022, with Les Bleus jumping above them into fourth after a statement win on home soil.
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The ripple effects were felt elsewhere too. Italy’s gritty 18–15 victory over Scotland in Rome saw the Azzurri climb one place to ninth, swapping spots with Gregor Townsend’s men, who continue to drift and now sit 10th — pressure very much on.
Despite running Wales ragged in a 48–7 demolition at Twickenham, England were left empty-handed in ranking terms. The gap between the sides was simply too big, with the 15.18-point differential meaning Steve Borthwick’s team banked no extra credit for the rout.
At the summit, South Africa remain out in front, with New Zealand and England completing the top three. But Ireland’s fall — and France’s rise — is the headline that will sting most in Dublin.
World Rugby Rankings (Top 15)
- South Africa – 93.94
- New Zealand – 90.33
- England – 89.41
- France – 88.40 ↑ (+1.16)
- Ireland – 86.81 ↓ (–1.16)
- Argentina – 84.97
- Australia – 81.53
- Fiji – 81.14
- Italy – 79.81 ↑ (+0.82)
- Scotland – 79.40 ↓ (–0.82)
- Wales – 74.23
- Japan – 74.09
- Georgia – 73.18
- Uruguay – 69.19
- Spain – 69.01
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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