Springboks Drop 2 Ranking Points After 42-38 Loss to Wallabies in Perth
- The Springboks suffered a heavy defeat to Australia at Optus Stadium on 27 September 2026, with serious implications for their World Rugby ranking
- South Africa's lead over second-placed New Zealand narrowed significantly following the result
- The Wallabies moved up in the rankings after the win, leapfrogging a fellow top-10 nation
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The Springboks' grip on the top of the World Rugby rankings has loosened after the world champions fell to a 42-38 defeat against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
The loss cost South Africa 2.00 ranking points, pulling their tally down to 93.09. Their lead over second-placed New Zealand, who remained on 91.15, narrowed to just 1.94 points.
Boks could have lost more ground
The margin of loss proved significant in limiting the damage. South Africa were trailing 42-17 at one stage during the second half at Optus Stadium, a deficit that would have triggered a 3.00-point deduction under the World Rugby ranking calculation system. A spirited late comeback reduced the final margin to four points, sparing the Boks further slippage.
Ireland remain in third place on 88.08, followed by France on 87.43 and England on 85.68.
Wallabies climb the rankings
Australia gained 2.00 ranking points from the victory, lifting them to 85.55 and into sixth position, moving above Scotland, who dropped to seventh on 84.78. A winning margin of 16 points or more would have been sufficient to also leapfrog England into fifth, but the narrowing of the score in the final stages denied the Wallabies that additional reward.
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Argentina sit eighth on 82.24, with Japan and Fiji rounding out the top 10 on 77.28 and 76.81 respectively.
The result keeps the broader World Rugby top-10 picture competitive, with only 7.41 points separating South Africa at the summit from Argentina in eighth place.
Rassie Erasmus blames Springboks after 42-38 loss
Briefly News previously reported that Rassie Erasmus spoke candidly after South Africa's 42-38 defeat to the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth on 27 September 2026
The Springbok coach acknowledged that his side had experimented with selection and found themselves 25 points behind during the match.
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Source: Briefly News
