🏉 Shocking Twist for All Blacks? New Zealand Rugby on the Brink! 🌍
The mighty All Blacks were soaring just weeks ago as the world’s top rugby team but face a potential rankings disaster! After an unexpected record defeat by the Springboks, they’ve dropped to third place and are now preparing for a crucial Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia in Auckland.
If the Wallabies manage a win this weekend, it could knock New Zealand down to an unprecedented fifth position, making it their lowest rank in three years. But the drama doesn’t stop there! A loss by more than 15 points could drop them to sixth—with Australia moving up. That would be the worst ranking in All Blacks history!
Even more surprising, if Argentina pulls off a shocker against South Africa in Durban, the All Blacks could plummet to seventh! 😱 This situation could have massive implications, knocking them out of the top seed pot for the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw in December. While they have more matches ahead to climb back up, this would still signal a stunning collapse after being world leaders just over a month ago.
Sadly, even a victory over Australia wouldn’t bump them up the rankings. They’ll gain a mere 0.26 points, nudging them closer to second-place Ireland but not surpassing them. 🍀
For Ireland though, there’s potential for celebration. If South Africa loses and Argentina wins, the Irish could ascend to the top spot for the first time since last November.
Elsewhere in the rugby world, Fiji solidifying their top 10 spot with a win over Japan, while Tonga rises in the rankings, and Chile enjoys a boost following a draw with Samoa.
Stay tuned for a weekend of thrilling matches and potential upsets! 🌟🏉