09 AUGUST, 2023 · 3 MIN READ

Six matches count towards the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini on a weekend when half of the 20 teams competing at Rugby World Cup 2023 are in action.

The Summer Nations Series continues with England and Wales and France and Scotland reversing fixtures from last Saturday.

England welcome Wales to Twickenham as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 20-9 loss in Cardiff, while Scotland go to Paris looking to follow up their 25-21 comeback win at Murrayfield.

Elsewhere, Georgia and Portugal take to the field for the first time since they took part in the Rugby Europe Championship Grand Final in March, with the title-winning Lelos up against Romania in Tbilisi and Os Lobos re-enacting last November’s dramatic final RWC 2023 qualifier against USA in Faro.

Temuco is the venue for the first-ever meeting between Chile and Namibia, while Tonga’s game against Canada in Nuku'alofa on Thursday promises to set the tone nicely for another busy period as RWC 2023 looms ever closer.

Highs and lows

In terms of the rankings, the most significant matches could well be the two Summer Nations Series fixtures at the Stade de France and Twickenham.

Scotland’s prize for a second win over Les Bleus in as many weeks is a historic high of fourth – if the margin is more than 15 points.

France cannot pick up enough points in victory to improve on their current position of third but would fall below Scotland, to fifth, if well beaten.

It is not possible for England to move up from sixth place regardless of how well they do at home to Wales, but the visitors stand to be the higher-ranked of the two nations if they back up last week’s win in Cardiff with another positive result.

A win by any margin will send Wales up to seventh, above England and also Australia who are not in action this weekend.

If they can improve on last week’s margin by at least one more score, Wales will climb an additional place to sixth, with Argentina also overtaken.

A defeat of any description will send England tumbling down to their lowest all-time ranking of ninth, with just under a tenth of a point separating them from Fiji in 10th.