It has been well over a year since the Springboks last took to the field. That being the 2nd of November 2019, when they won the Rugby World Cup. The team however remains ranked 1st in the World Rugby rankings with a rating of 94.2, whilst England sit in 2nd with 89.49 and The All Blacks in 3rd on 88.95
It's quite a surprise to see England sitting in 2nd place after a dismal showing in this years Guinness 6 Nations. England ranked 5th in the Tournament, beating out only Italy. The roses however had enough points banked after their World Cup final appearance in 2019 and back to back 6 Nations and Autumn Nations Cup wins to retain their ranking.
France dropped two spots to 5th after their Friday night loss to Scotland which also saw their title hopes go up in smoke, as a last gasp try from Duhan van der Merwe, snatched victory from the rejuvenated French side. Les Bleus were in great form prior to their isolation and will definitely look to building on that momentum as they continue to build towards the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Fans will hopefully see the Green & Gold take to the field in the second half of the year, with warm up games against a Gary Gold coached USA Eagles team as they prepare to face the British & Irish Lions. Head Coach Jacques Nienaber will be chomping on the bit to get preparations underway amidst all the uncertainty. The Springboks need to hit the ground running if they hope to prove that they deserve the title of "Worlds #1".
