Updated 18.30
SAMOA’S SHOCK WIN against Wales has moved Ireland up one place in the world rankings ahead of next month’s draw for the Rugby World Cup.
But Declan Kidney’s men now need a win against Argentina if they are to guarantee their place in the world’s top eight and second seeding for the 2015 pool stages.
Ireland trounced a poor Fiji side 53-0 in Thomond Park on Saturday evening, but as the match was a non-cap international, it had no direct effect on Ireland’s ranking.
With Wales dropping two places following their unlikely 26-19 defeat in Cardiff, Ireland move up to seventh.
Samoa’s win tightens the race for an all-important top eight finish with just 1.1 ratings points now separating them in ninth from Argentina in sixth, with the Pumas the guests at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The world rankings are used to determine the seedings of the 12 teams who have already qualified for the 2015 World Cup, which will be hosted in England.
The top four teams will be guaranteed to avoid each other when the pool allocation draw is made on 3 December, while the teams ranked ninth to 12th will face tests against both a first seed and a second seed to qualify for the tournament’s knockout stages.
