The All Blacks have fallen two spots on the World Rugby rankings after their historic defeat at the hands of South Africa on Saturday and are now ranked fourth. 

South Africa have increased from third to second after their 35-7 win at Twickenham, meanwhile Rugby World Cup hosts France have increased from fourth to third after thumping the Wallabies yesterday. Ireland remain at the top of the rankings. 

After their 23-12 defeat to Ireland in July last year, the All Blacks’ ranking also fell to fourth. 

It’s not the All Blacks lowest-ever ranking. In August last year the team ranked fifth after England poked their nose ahead of the All Blacks. The Springboks’ margin of victory at Mbombela proved crucial, sending the All Blacks to their lowest-ever ranking point. Under the world ranking system, there is an extra penalty if the margin of victory exceeds 15 points. So the 26-10 win left the All Blacks at an all-time low, parked behind Ireland, France, South Africa and England. 

The news comes after lock Scott Barrett was cleared to play after a judiciary hearing into his automatic sending off against the Springboks at Twickenham over the weekend. 

It will certainly be a relief for the All Blacks coaching staff, who faced the possibility of going into their match against France in the Rugby World Cup opener on September 9 (NZT) with only two available locks. Already one lock down due to Brodie Retallick’s knee injury, the All Blacks could ill-afford to lose Barrett from their thin second-row stocks. 

The Boks were in full flight to register a record 35-7 win over the All Blacks that suggests they are timing their run to perfection. The five-tries-to-one defeat snapped the All Blacks’ 11-test unbeaten run dating back to last September. 

Barrett became the first All Black to be red-carded twice. In 2019, he became the fourth All Black in history to be given his marching orders, after his shoulder connected with the head of then-Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper late in the first half. 

Meanwhile, starting tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax joined fellow influential forwards Retallick and Shannon Frizell in the mounting casualty ward for the All Blacks’ first World Cup test against France in after suffering a nasty gash to his thigh that required 30 stitches. 

Lomax suffered the deep laceration from the blades of Springboks fullback Damian Willemse’s boot in an accidental incident early in the first half. 

Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was as assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.