Reflecting the results of international rugby weekend matches, the new World Rugby standings have plunged the All Blacks to their all-time low of fourth in the standings.
Ireland, which made history in Dunedin by beating the All Blacks on Kiwi soil for the first time, has risen to second behind France.
Andy Farrell’s men would have taken the top spot had it not been for Will Jordan’s late attempt for the All Blacks to narrow the deficit to 11 points. Ireland would have needed a 16-point win to secure the number 1 spot.
After beating Japan 20-15, France top the rankings for the first time in their history, displacing South Africa, which drops to third place.
It is also the first time since the introduction of the rankings in October 2003 that two teams in the Northern Hemisphere have taken the top two places.
England’s 25-17 win over Australia saw Eddie Jones’ men jump the Wallabies into fifth place.
Scotland did the same for Argentina after their 29-6 victory in Salta, moving to seventh place for Wales, while the Pumas dropped to ninth place.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster said the top teams in the world were closer than ever.
“It’s been a weekend in the Northern Hemisphere, so while there’s a bit of doom and gloom in our camp, it’s actually great for world rugby and it’s off to a really good start next weekend,” he said.
“It’s kind of what everyone wanted, except we didn’t want it. There are some strong teams. We hate losing and it hurts so much. We still want to be number one.”
Top 10 Teams in World Rugby Ranking
1. France (89.41 – above third)
2. Ireland (88.79 – higher than fourth)
3. South Africa (88.61 – lower than before)
4. New Zealand (88.17 – lower than second)
5. England (85.14 – up from sixth)
6. Australia (83.28 – below fifth)
7. Scotland (82.99 – up from eighth)
8. Wales (81.28 – up from ninth)
9. Argentina (79.39 – under seventh)
10. Japan (77.74 – held position)