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The All Blacks could have an extra spring in their step on their way to the Rugby World Cup, with the possibility they could this weekend be back to No 1 in the world rankings.
Ireland do battle with England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin early Sunday morning (4.30am NZ time), and a win for the visitors would cause a significant shift in the standings.
Should Steve Borthwick’s men get up, in a match which will be refereed by Kiwi Paul Williams, it would mean that the second-ranked All Blacks would overtake the Irish and claim back top spot – a place they have not been for almost two years.
It would complete their full-circle rollercoaster under Ian Foster, with the men in black plummeting to historic depths in 2022, having fallen to a record-low No 5 for one week following defeat to South Africa in Mbombela (after their successive home losses to Ireland), and again after their first-ever home loss to Argentina in Christchurch.
Foster had inherited the side ranked No 2 following the 2019 World Cup, and they floated between there and third before rising to No 1 in September 2021 when they broke the Springboks’ 98-week hold on top spot, which had started with their Cup triumph in Japan.
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The All Blacks could have a boost on their way to the World Cup if England do them a favour against Ireland.
That lasted for just a fortnight, though, with South Africa then re-taking the No 1 berth and holding it for 40 weeks. France derailed them in July to become just the sixth nation to top the charts, but that lasted all of a week before Ireland took back the mantle on what is currently a 56-week run.
Ireland, who first became No 1 a fortnight before the 2019 World Cup, could drop as many as three places, to fourth this weekend, should they lose to England by more than 15 points, South Africa beat Wales by more than 15 in Cardiff, and France beat Fiji in Nantes.
Andy Farrell’s side are in decent touch, though. They are on an 11-test win-streak, which started with toppling the All Blacks in Dunedin last year, while they are 15 in a row at the Aviva, having lost just two of their past 38 matches there.
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