Sunday's fascinating game between the Springboks and Argentina had some consequences for the Ireland rugby team.
The Springboks have had a grip of the top place in the World Rugby Rankings since Ireland's World Cup defeat in the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal to the All Blacks.
Previous to that, Ireland had held top spot since beating New Zealand in their famous tour win of 2022.
This morning, Ireland wake up number one in the world again, as the defeat for the South Africa means the world champions have lost points in the world table.
The Springboks had not lost since Ciaran Frawley's famous drop goal back defeated the Boks back in the summer.
The Springboks however will play Argentina on home soil next week. We await clarity from World Rugby whether the Boks will reclaim the top spot with a win.
Here are the World Rugby Rankings as they stand, following their coming revision on 23 September..
World Rugby Rankings
World Rugby Rankings - Top 15
| Position | Team | Points |
| 1 | Ireland | 92.12 |
| 2 | South Africa | 91.77 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.70 |
| 4 | France | 86.46 |
| 5 | England | 85.40 |
| 6 | Argentina | 84.30 |
| 7 | Scotland | 82.82 |
| 8 | Italy | 79.98 |
| 9 | Fiji | 79.64 |
| 10 | Australia | 79.32 |
| 11 | Wales | 76.04 |
| 12 | Georgia | 74.10 |
| 13 | Samoa | 72.68 |
| 14 | Japan | 72.31 |
| 15 | Portugal |
70.61 |
SEE ALSO: Stephen Ferris Selects Four Players To Watch For The Irish Provinces This Season
Rankings Explained
World Rugby Rankings are gathered using a points exchange system.
This essentially means that when two teams play against one another, they will exchange points with one another.
The losing team will lose the exact same amount of points the winning team gains from the match.
Each team's points range from 0-100, with the top three teams often ranked between 90-100.
Factors Impacting The Number Of Points Exchanged
A number of factors affect the amount of points that are exchanged following an international match.
These factors include:
- Each team's ranking going into the match
- Location of the game
- Home team
- The margin each team wins/loses by
When a team has a home advantage, their ranking is given three additional points for the purpose of comparing the two sides strengths.
This is done as a result of teams usually performing better in front of a home crowd.
SEE ALSO: Clip Showcases Felix Jones' Genius And Attention To Detail During Famous French Defeat
