Ireland remain third in the World Rugby rankings following the conclusion of an enthralling Six Nations championship.
Despite France beating England 48-46 in a thriller in Paris to retain the Six Nations title, Ireland remain the highest-ranked side from the northern hemisphere, behind the No 1-ranked Springboks and No 2-ranked All Blacks.
Ireland secured a 43-21 victory over Scotland in the final round of the Six Nations, earning 0.18 ranking points to move to 89.07. That leaves them with a 1.61-point advantage over France, who picked up 0.43 ranking points but remained fourth.
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England remain sixth on 83.91 points, while Scotland sit seventh after losing 0.18 ranking points in their clash with Ireland.
Further down the table, Wales broke their 15-match losing streak in the Six Nations to climb one place to 11th with their 31-17 win over Italy. The victory earned them 1.45 ranking points, allowing them to move ahead of Japan.
World Rugby rankings (Top 15)
1. South Africa 93.94
2. New Zealand 90.33
3. Ireland 89.07 (+0.18)
4. France 87.46 (+0.43)
5. Argentina 84.97
6. England 83.91 (-0.43)
7. Scotland 82.90 (-0.18)
8. Australia 81.53
9. Fiji 81.14
10. Italy 79.64 (-1.45)
11. (↑1) Wales 75.07 (+1.45)
12. (↓1) Japan 74.09
13. Georgia 73.48
14. Uruguay 69.19
15. USA 68.26
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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