All Blacks chase world No 1 against Springboks at FNB Stadium

New Zealand will regain the world No 1 ranking if they defeat South Africa at FNB Stadium on Saturday. The result would give the All Blacks a 2-1 advantage in the four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, with the margin of victory irrelevant to their return to the summit.

South Africa currently lead the rankings on 93.39 points, while New Zealand are second on 92.85. Ireland occupy third place on 88.08, meaning the two long-standing rivals are guaranteed to remain the top two teams when the rankings are updated after the match.

A New Zealand victory would create a rare rankings sequence. The leading team would have changed in three successive weeks for the first time since World Rugby introduced its rankings in October 2003.

South Africa will keep first place with a draw, although their rating would fall by 0.05 points. A Springboks win by 15 points or fewer would leave them 2.43 points ahead of New Zealand, while a victory by more than 15 points would extend the lead to 3.38 points.

The All Blacks would move 2.62 points clear at the top if they win by more than 15 points. Any victory, however, would be enough to put New Zealand back at No 1 and increase their series lead before the final Test in Baltimore.

FNB Stadium has previously favoured New Zealand in this rivalry. They won 29-22 there in 2010 and followed that with a 32-16 victory in 2012, giving them a perfect record at the venue from their two earlier visits.