New Zealand have won the last seven Bledisloe Cup encounters,
but if Australia can bring that sequence to a end with victory in
Melbourne on Saturday then the Wallabies will climb above South
Africa into second place in the latest IRB World Rankings.
Australia have not occupied second spot since a brief
one-week spell in September 2008, but having closed to within seven
tenths of South Africa after beating them 30-13 last weekend then
any margin of victory over the All Blacks will take them above the
Springboks.
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New Zealand go into the first of four Bledisloe Cup
encounters in 2010 on the back of two impressive bonus-point
victories over South Africa in the Tri Nations, results that have
helped them stretch their advantage over Australia to 6.68 points
in the IRB World Rankings.
However, an Australian victory by more than 15 points at the
Etihad Stadium could see the gap between the Trans Tasman rivals
reduced to just under four rating points ahead of their meeting in
Christchurch on Saturday week.
A first draw between the sides since July 1988 would half
Australia's deficit to South Africa as well as slightly
reducing the All Blacks' cushion as the number one side in the
IRB World Rankings.
New Zealand, who have had the Bledisloe Cup in their trophy
cabinet since 2003, can increase their own rating by nearly a point
with a victory by more than 15 points in Melbourne and stretch
their advantage at the top to almost seven points.
Even in this instance, Australia are in no danger of losing
third place and breaking the southern hemisphere dominance at the
top of the rankings as France would still be more than two rating
points adrift.
The IRB World Rankings update every Monday at 12:00 UK
time.
