Ireland closes gap on South Africa in World Rugby Rankings

Ireland continue to edge closer to the No.1 spot in world rugby after a convincing 32-18 victory over Scotland in the Six Nations.

The latest rankings update sees Ireland’s tally rise from 90.78 to 91.65, bringing them within just 1.13 points of top-ranked South Africa, who remain inactive until July.

With the Six Nations providing opportunities for Ireland, France, and England to gain ground in the rankings, Ireland’s latest win ensures they remain in a strong position to challenge for the top spot.

A standout performance from fly-half Sam Prendergast saw him named Player of the Match in Ireland’s impressive victory at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. The young playmaker reflected on the electric atmosphere and the emotions of playing on such a grand stage.

"It was an unbelievable game and savage atmosphere," Prendergast said.

"I couldn’t really believe it when the national anthems were being sung. I was trying to focus on the task at hand but that was pretty special.”

Ireland dominated the first half, racing to a 17-0 lead, before Duhan van der Merwe produced a moment of individual brilliance for Scotland just before halftime. Despite Scotland’s second-half fightback, Ireland maintained control, showcasing their ability to handle pressure.

"I thought we started unbelievably in the game, we put so much pressure on them. It wasn’t perfect but we kept piling on moments," Prendergast added.

Prendergast credited the quality of Ireland’s backline and forwards for making his role easier, emphasizing the influence of players like Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, and the back three.

"If you look across our backline and the platform we get off our forwards, some of our backs like Jammo [Gibson-Park] inside me, and the lads in the centres, plus all the back three, it makes my job a lot easier. They are all world-class players, so it makes me look a little bit better.”

With momentum on their side, Ireland will now look to maintain their form and continue their push for a historic third consecutive Six Nations title, while also closing the gap on the Springboks at the top of the world rankings.

World Rugby Top 10 Rankings:

Rank	Team	Rating Points
1	South Africa	92.78
2	Ireland	91.36
3	New Zealand	90.36
4	France	87.19
5	Argentina	84.97
6	England	83.63
7	Scotland	82.99
8	Australia	81.52
9	Fiji	80.07
10	Italy	78.67