Scotland will rise to fifth in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings after Gregor Townsend’s side beat Argentina 47-38 in Córdoba. The win lifts Scotland to 84.11 points and matches their all-time high, last reached during Rugby World Cup 2023.
That move puts Scotland ahead of England and into the top five once the World Rugby Men’s Rankings are updated at noon on Monday. Argentina drop out of the top five after the defeat at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes.
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba
Townsend’s team did the damage with a 47-38 result that carried immediate ranking weight. Scotland’s 84.11 points are enough to edge past England’s 83.91, a margin of 0.20 points that changes the order even without a wider gap in the table.
The official update comes after a weekend of Test matches across the opening weekend of The Nations Championship and the World Rugby Nations Cup. Scotland’s place in fifth is the clearest shift, but the rankings table is moving more broadly as 11 of the 24 teams in action will see their position altered.
England and South Africa
England’s 45-21 defeat to South Africa does not cost them any points, even as Scotland leapfrog them. South Africa remain on 93.94 points, and their lead over New Zealand will shrink to 2.90 points after New Zealand beat France 34-32 in Christchurch.
That keeps South Africa top, with New Zealand moving to 91.04 points. Ireland stay third after beating Australia 33-31, while France remain fourth and Australia stay eighth.
Wales and the lower order
Elsewhere, Wales fall short of breaking back into the top 10 after beating Fiji 39-24. Italy lost 27-10 to Japan, USA will climb to 14th after beating Portugal 30-29, and Samoa move from 20th to 18th after beating Hong Kong China 66-19.
Canada rise from 25th to 23rd after drawing Spain 42-42, with Spain sinking three places to 20th. Chile also move up one place after beating Romania 48-31, while Portugal, Uruguay, Hong Kong China and Zimbabwe each lose a place.
For Scotland, the cleanest read is simple: the win in Córdoba restores a place they reached during Rugby World Cup 2023 and puts them back among the five highest-ranked sides in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings. The Monday update decides the table in full, but the swap at the top of that next tier is already set.
