IRB Rankings : England slip to 5th.

Extra spice was added to the AIs today as the home nation teams jockey for all important IRB ranking positions in order to secure the most advantageous RWC seeding for 2015.

Hosts England have slipped out of 4th position, relegating France to 6th, Wales 7th and Ireland 8th.

The shock moves reflects the IRBs commitment to have the ranking system fairly reflect the position of global teams internationally, representatives of the board communicated today via a press release.

In the statement IRB chief Brett Gosper defends the decision "Everyone knows that New Zealand and Leinster are the best two teams in the world today; everyone else is playing catch up".

ARU executive John O'Neill is said to be disappointed following Australia's desperate effort to hang on to second place despite being shorn of 27 first choice starting Wallabies.

Heneke Meyer who's Springbok side has slipped to 4th spot has said he is dismayed, but believes when Morne Steyn recovers from injury that SA are sure to kick their way straight back to the #1 position so he is ulimately unconcerned.

That's actually a little funny.

Glad that it's been finally confirmed. It took the IRB a long time to mull over it though, which I'm still not happy about. The unwillingness to admit the truth cost Leinster their place at the last World Cup.

reflects the IRBs commitment to have the ranking system fairly reflect the position of global teams internationally,

Ireland 8th is generous then

I thought Waiakato were fifth..

aucklandlaurie wrote:
I thought Waiakato were fifth..

That's far too "parrochial" a view.

When New Zealand won the World Cup in 1987, did the Worcester Times come out with a headline saying that New Zealand and Waikato are the two best teams in the world? No they didn't. It's just parrochial nonsense.

Etc, etc, etc....

No because it was NZ and Auckland. Waikato were third.