The Springboks and All Blacks head into next Saturday's Greatest Rivalry Series opener at Ellis Park as the world's top two ranked sides, with South Africa on 93.96 points and New Zealand on 92.28.
The final movement in the rankings before the Johannesburg Test came on Saturday in Townsville, where Australia beat Japan 57-17. The Wallabies gained 0.58 points to move to 82.67, not enough to displace Argentina in seventh, while Japan dropped by the same margin to 75.36 but remained 12th.
The rankings equation for Ellis Park is straightforward: any New Zealand victory returns them to the top spot they last held in August 2025, while a draw is sufficient for South Africa to retain first place. The Springboks need a win to stay clear with any margin of comfort.
Australia and Argentina meet in back-to-back Tests at the Estadio 23 de Agosto, with the Wallabies able to leapfrog Los Pumas into seventh with a win. Argentina retain seventh regardless of the result, as even a victory of more than 15 points would not generate enough ranking points to overhaul Scotland in sixth.