Pumas climb in rankings, Boks stay third

Cape Town — Argentina have climbed two places in the World Rugby rankings after beating South Africa in the Rugby Championship.

Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias’s penalty two minutes from time secured Argentina a 26-24 victory over South Africa in Salta and a two-place climb to seventh in the latest World Rugby rankings.

Argentina looked in danger of letting a 10-point lead slip for a second weekend running against the Springboks, but regrouped to claim a third win in Rugby Championship history to the delight of the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena crowd.

Los Pumas climb above France and Scotland in the rankings and closed to within three tenths of Ireland in sixth, having not secured the winning margin of more than 15 points that would have lifted them another place.

The Springboks remain third despite their defeat, although they are now more than four rating points adrift of England and less than a point above Australia, whose rating is unchanged despite a 29-9 loss to New Zealand.

World champions New Zealand produced another dominant display to beat Australia for the second weekend running, the Wallabies now having lost six matches in a row, three against the All Blacks and three in the June series with England.

Top 15 in the latest World Rugby rankings:

1. New Zealand 96.30

2. England 89.49

3. South Africa 85.08

4. Australia 84.23

5. Wales 82.49

6. Ireland 81.67

7. Argentina 81.44

8. France 80.75

9. Scotland 80.44

10. Fiji 75.49

11. Georgia 75.23