World Cup finalists England and South Africa are now the two top-ranked teams in the World Rugby rankings.
Before the semi-finals, New Zealand were top of the elite list, followed by England in second position, Wales in third and South Africa in fourth place.
But England’s stunning 19-7 upset win over the All Blacks have had them rising above their victims to the top of the charts.
The Springboks edged Wales 19-16 in a nerve-wrecking second semi-final and have subsequently climbed up to second in the rankings. South Africa’s two-place promotion has them usurping New Zealand and Wales, who are now third and fourth, respectively.
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World Rugby rankings:
1. England 92.29
2. South Africa 90.71
3. New Zealand 89.92
4. Wales 87.21
5. Ireland 84.45
6. Australia 81.90
7. France 80.88
8. Japan 79.28
9. Scotland 79.23
10. Argentina 78.31
Full rankings
How the rankings work
Photo: Getty Images
