Italian rugby hit the back pages after their historic 22-21 victory over France at the Stadio Flaminio on Saturday, but the win was not quite enough to improve their standing of 12th in the latest IRB World Rankings.
The biggest win in Italian rugby history – and their first over France in the Six Nations – has improved their rating by 1.77 points, bringing them to within a tenth of Samoa and 0.12 of Fiji in 10th ahead of their visit to Murrayfield to take on Scotland this weekend.
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France’s shock loss before an enthusiastic crowd in Rome has seen them lose ground on England in fourth, but the fact that Ireland also slipped to defeat against Wales on Saturday means the two sides remain fifth and sixth, albeit now separated by only eight hundredths.
Wales had managed only one win over Ireland in Cardiff since 1983, but improved that statistic with a hard fought 19-13 victory at the Millennium Stadium, a result which does not improve their position of seventh but closes them to within six tenths of fifth ranked France.
The weekend’s final Six Nations match, between England and Scotland on Sunday, had no impact on the rankings with the hosts triumphing 22-16 at Twickenham to keep alive hopes of a first Grand Slam in eight years and preserving their standings as the leading northern hemisphere side in fourth.
There was, though, one change in the top 20 with Georgia climbing above Canada into 14th following their 18-11 defeat of Romania to preserve their unbeaten record in the top tier of the European Nations Cup 2012.
Romania remain 18th following defeat by a side they will face again at Rugby World Cup 2011, still ahead of Russia and Portugal who enjoyed contrasting fortunes over the weekend with the former beating Ukraine 41-5 and the latter losing 25-10 to their neighbours Spain.
Spain’s victory in Madrid has halved the deficit to Namibia above them in 22nd, while Ukraine remain stationary in 30th as sides around them rise and fall as a result of the weekend’s two other European Nations Cup matches in Gdynia and Heidelberg.
Poland were ranked 13 places below their visitors Belgium, but after running out 28-21 winners they have risen three places to 34th at the expense of Moldova, Tunisia and Hong Kong and condemned their opponents to a two-place fall to 26th.
The other Division 1B encounter saw the Czech Republic overcame Germany 29-23 to rise three places to 28th to occupy their highest position for four years. Their hosts Germany slide three to 32nd with Korea enjoying a one-place elevation as a result.
