WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samoa remains in 10th place on the latest International Rugby Board world rankings despite its 32-23 win over two-time World Cup winner Australia last weekend.
The IRB said had it not been for the upset win, Samoa would have dropped to 12th place after a 29-19 loss to Tonga which saw it finish last in the recent Pacific Nations Cup tournament. The win over Australia allowed Samoa to remain the highest-ranked Pacific nation.
Australia conceded the No. 2 ranking to South Africa days before it hosts the Springboks in the Tri-Nations series opener on Saturday. New Zealand remains in the No. 1 spot, with an increased margin of 6.75 ranking points.
Pacific Nations Cup champion Japan climbed to its highest-ever ranking of 11th.
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