The Boks will take on the All Blacks in a blockbuster match on Saturday. Photo: SA Rugby/Twitter

The Boks will take on the All Blacks in a blockbuster match on Saturday. Photo: SA Rugby/Twitter

RANKINGS: How Boks can get to within touching distance of No 1!

The Boks will be close to reclaiming the No 1 World Rugby ranking if they can claim a good win over the All Blacks on Saturday.

The Boks will take on the All Blacks in a blockbuster match on Saturday. Photo: SA Rugby/Twitter

The Boks will take on the All Blacks in a blockbuster match on Saturday. Photo: SA Rugby/Twitter

There will be plenty at stake when the Boks and All Blacks clash in Johannesburg on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:05.

PICTURE | FORMER SPRINGBOK SHOCKINGLY ASSAULTED AFTER MBOMBELA TEST

Notably, World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for round two of the Rugby Championship this weekend, with these being the key highlights below:

  • South Africa will climb above France into second with victory over New Zealand
  • New Zealand will climb back above England if they avoid defeat in South Africa
  • The All Blacks must win by more than 15 points to climb to third and be the higher ranked of the two nations. A win by a smaller margin would still leave South Africa 0.02 rating points better off than New Zealand
  • New Zealand can fall no lower than fifth even with an emphatic defeat as Australia cannot gain enough points in victory to leapfrog them

More specifically, if the Boks can win by more than 15 points – as they did last weekend – then they will move to 89.96 rankings points, just 0.7 points shy of leaders Ireland on 90.03.

*If South Africa win by 15 points or less – South Africa 89.78, New Zealand 85.76

*If South Africa win by more than 15 points – South Africa 89.96, New Zealand 85.57

* Draw – South Africa 88.78, New Zealand 86.76

*If New Zealand win by 15 points or less – South Africa 87.78, New Zealand 87.76

*If New Zealand win by more than 15 points – South Africa 86.96, New Zealand 88.57

READ | HAS IAN FOSTER LOST HIS MIND? ALL BLACKS TOO A ‘STEP UP’ HE CLAIMS!

Boks v All Blacks Head-to-head

  • Played 102 – New Zealand leads 60-38 with four draws
  • Points for: South Africa 1,651 / New Zealand 2,108 (avg. score: 16-21)
  • Highest score: South Africa 46 (46-40 on 19 August, 2000) / New Zealand 57 (57-0 on 16
  • September, 2017 / 57-15 on 8 October, 2016)
  • Biggest winning margin: South Africa 17 (17-0 on 30 June, 1928) / New Zealand 57 (57-0 on 16
  • September, 2017)
  • First met: 13 August, 1921 – New Zealand 13-5 South Africa – Carisbrook, Dunedin
  • Last met: 6 August, 2022 – South Africa 26-10 New Zealand – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

READ | SPRINGBOKS TO RETURN TO THE HOME OF RUGBY TO TAKE ON ENGLAND

TOP 10 IN THE LATEST WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS:

1. Ireland – 90.03

2. France – 89.41

3. South Africa – 89.41

4. England – 86.25

5. New Zealand – 86.13

6. Australia – 83.30

7. Scotland – 81.93

8. Wales – 81.28

9. Argentina – 79.32

10. Japan – 77.74