England rises to fourth in world rankings after win over Australia

England moved a step closer to securing a top seeding for the 2027 Rugby World Cup after beating Australia 25-7 at Twickenham on Saturday, a victory that lifted Steve Borthwick’s side into fourth in the World Rugby rankings. The win earned England 0.40 ranking points, taking their rating to 88.04, and put them ahead of France as the autumn internationals begin to shape the pecking order ahead of the December 3 draw in Sydney.

The weekend’s results produced several notable movements. New Zealand came from 10-0 down to beat Ireland 26-13 in Chicago and picked up 0.98 points, cutting South Africa’s lead at the top to 1.20 points. South Africa rattled in nine tries in a 61-7 victory over Japan at Wembley but did not gain ranking points because of the large rating differential with the Brave Blossoms. Scotland thumped the United States 85-0 at Murrayfield but likewise recorded no ranking gain. The updated top rankings are South Africa 92.20, New Zealand 91.00, Ireland 88.85, England 88.04, France 87.82 and Argentina 83.82.

England’s rise to fourth leaves them 0.81 points behind Ireland and with a 5.14 point cushion over Australia, now seventh at 82.90. That gap makes it unlikely, but...