Latest IRB rankings
The latest IRB rankings reflecting what has happened in the pool games at the Rugby World Cup are now released. We thought we would highlight the changes and any changes. The most significant thing is the top five have not altered position since the last rankings so it is still New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, France.
Ranking Changes
England and Ireland swap places so England move up to six from seven and Ireland down to seven, Scotland jump two to eight and Fiji two to nine. Wales move down two to 10, Samoa and Tonga it seems change but Samoa are up to twelve and Tonga down to thirteen, we think this should be reversed. The other sides from the World Cup are sequenced Romania, Canada, Georgia, Japan, then USA at nineteen, Portugal at twenty-two and Namibia at twenty-five. These have gone down relative to non RWC sides because of the RWC losses.
simon becks said,
November 1, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
England beat the Wallabies ; and the conquerors of the All Blacks- France - in Paris in the recent World Cup 2007 and in six tournaments have now been in the final 3 times ! Won one and Runners up twice , in two very, very narrow and hard luck defeats. ( 1991 and 2007) Their achievement is phenomenal and bearing in mind star players were injured throughout and they did not get the rub of the green in the finals in 1991 or 2007, , their success is even more phenomenal.
To English people all round the world, I say, stop apologizing when we win- its part of the English psyche to be modest in victory but do soak it up. We are very very good at Rugby and have achieved more , much more than any other Northern Hemisphere Nation throughout the whole of the World Cup History 1987-1007.
Every country in the world wants to beat England at sport so the success is even greater . Our success - away from home - against top teams is unequalled - we have even managed to silence the vile press that so often accvomlanies our touring sides.
I am sure the Welsh or the Scots or the Irish or even the French for that matter would love to have our record but they must first earn it. For the moment , we are streets ahead of them all and with a good Coach- a new Coach , I think, maybe Jake White and Marin Johnson together - I am sure we will win it again in 4 or 8 years time.
The Six Nations seems a little irrelevant by the side of this. England do it on a world stage - so be proud Englishmen everywhere. Our overall record in the six IRB tournament is actually better than the All Blacks you know !!.