Boks within striking distance of No. 1 as Rugby Championship showdown looms

Ireland slipped back to third as the Boks moved within touching distance of the top, now trailing New Zealand by just 0.71 ranking points.

The Boks surrendered their No. 1 ranking to the Kiwis last week following their shock defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park, dropping all the way down to third.

The All Blacks stayed at No. 1 this week only because their 29-23 defeat to Los Pumas was not heavy enough - they needed to lose by at least 15 to surrender the spot.

That razor-thin margin sets the stage for a decisive double-header between the sport's fiercest rivals - the Boks and the All Blacks - with back-to-back Rugby Championship clashes in Auckland on 6 September and Wellington a week later set to determine who holds the title of world's best.

World Rugby rankings

1 New Zealand 90.72

2 South Africa 90.01

3 Ireland 89.83

4 France 87.82

5 England 87.64

6 Australia 84.85

7 Argentina 83.40

8 Scotland 81.57

9 Fiji 80.50

10 Italy 77.77