IRELAND HAVE MOVED up to second in the world rankings for the first time ever following yesterday’s 35-21 win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Joe Schmidt’s men moved up to third in the official World Rugby list last November, returning to that position after beating England in the Six Nations in March.
Now Ireland find themselves ranked second in the world for the first time, having replaced South Africa behind leaders New Zealand.
The Springboks were beaten 37-25 by a hard-working and highly-skillful Argentina yesterday in their Rugby Championship clash in Durban.
Schmidt is sure to play down the meaning of this ranking as the second best team in the world ahead of the start of the World Cup next month, although it is a further indicator of the improvements made under the Kiwi since he took charge in 2013.
New Zealand remain in a dominant position at the top of the rankings despite their 27-19 defeat to Michael Cheika’s Australia yesterday. Ireland’s victory means they are narrowly ahead of the Wallabies in second spot.
- This article was originally published on 8 August, then updated at 12.20 on 9 August.
Rashford attitude at Utd is Pogba level attitude
@Caolan Z: Even worse
He must be absolutely toxic altogether for scholesy to come out with this he’d jave plenty inside knowledge..amrion is honest and calls it as it is other managers let him away with murder it seems..time to separate ways be good for both parties.
@Paully kells: The Saudis don’t even want him. You’d have a better chance of selling a bag of sand to them than offloading Rashford to them.
The second this muppet did an interview asking how dare people question his professionalism mere weeks after getting pissed in Belfast and didn’t bother turning up for training for a game they bearly won with the managers job on the line…he should have been shown the door then.
He gets paid a million quid sterling every 3 weeks
Good job his conscience doesn’t appear to trouble him
The implosion really is a delight to watch. Scholes showing his true colours by throwing a fellow professional under the bus, magic stuff altogether.
@Paul Linehan: Scholes is dead right take the Abu glasses off..
@Paully kells: Sorry Paully, what are these ‘Abu’ glasses you refer to?…. do they allow you to see games in places like Saudi Arabia, where Rushford will probably end up making stacks of money?
@Paul Linehan: do u not think Scholes is correct paul and telling it as it is??rashford has got away with it for too long.. actually admire amriom the way he’s handled it. Maguire has he’s critics if rashford could take a leave out he’s book he wouldn’t be going too wrong he’s knuckled down and got on with it.. rashford wouldn’t lasting a day with he’s attitude if he was under fergie
@Paully kells: Devaluing a player by ridiculing them in public doesn’t sit well with me, whether I like them or not. Rushford will ride off to the land of gold and won’t give a fiddlers about Amorim and his ‘tic-tacs’ (yes it is correct). It looks like the great saviour is putting the blame on a player because the rest of the team are below average and trying to make an example. No point in everyone running around like spring chickens on the training ground and turning up like lame ducks on match day.
@Paul Linehan: you seem very bitter about Ruben amorim for some reason paul? I’ve seen you have a few digs at him now, seems strange as let’s be honest, few of us knew him 3 months ago and he’s come across as being very honest and fairly sound so far.
@Brian Dunne: Bitter is too strong a word Briany. I think he should’ve stuck with Sporting and showed loyalty to that club. But he made his bed and has to live with the consequences of walking out on a happy club, with REAL team players. Ruben was well known within the football circles in Europe, probably not MU fans, as they can’t see beyond the club, who has managed to ruin the careers of so many coaches since Sir Alex hung up his training gear. All that man done for the club and the owners just tossed him in the rubbish bin. MU truly are a toxic club.
@Paul Linehan: wow. I guess slot is to be condemned for walking out on a happy club too? Oh and my name is Brian.
@Brian Dunne: From one Happy club to another happy club Briany….. Not every penny fits the Slot. Oh and Paul has a capital at the start ;-)
@Paul Linehan: Bitter sounds about right.
@Paul Linehan: jeez, you’re calling people bitter. The only person that sounds bitter is you. Did Fergie ruin your childhood?
@Paul Linehan: ok Paul. Now, my name is Brian or brian. Please respect my name.
@Brian Dunne: unlikely Brian.
@Brian Dunne: OK Brian, will do. I see Dave and Mick are backing you up, so I’ll
leave you be, coz when three or more MU fans gather there’s usually a mob in the making :-)….. PS it is really great seeing your club fall apart both team wise and the kip they run around in.
@Paul Linehan: have you a problem with getting people’s names correct? Or is it just basic manners your lacking?
@Kevin Dillon: Hi Kev, try reading the post, as I complimented Sir Alex on all he done for MU. Also when someone has a dislike for, or argues against something, it’s silly to class them as bitter towards the topic argued…. By the way, Sir Alex wasn’t managing when I was a child. He playered for St Johnstone FC, and had a pretty good goal for games played ratio. Football was a tougher game then, combining skill and physicality. Most of today’s so called world class players wouldn’t have lasted 30 minutes, let alone 90 minutes kicking a lead weight ball and playing on muck fields. Todays players are overrated and well over paid. The LOI and English lower leagues are getting bigger gates because of the standard played in what’s supposed to be the greatest league in football.
@Brian Dunne: Do you know them personally Brian, as they may use a shortened version of their name. Not everyone is a picky as you Brian…. I know lots of Davids and Michaels who have introduced themselves as Dave or Mick. Relax Brian, take a chill pill and try to enjoy life. Have an early night and prepare yourself for a very long day on Thursday ;-)
@Paul Linehan: I adress people as they present themselves Paul. So if someone calls themselves mick I’ll adress them as mick. If you were a child in the 60s as you claim then I’m amazed at your lack of respect for people’s names. I thought it was only the younger generations who had such a lack of manners.
@Paul Linehan: wow, probably the worst football fan on here. You’re actually worse than the Shepherd. I really feel sorry for you if you were a child when Fergie played for St. Johnstone. That puts you roughly in your 70′s. What an absolute embarrassment you are. Was sure you had school in the morning.
@David: Sorry if I hit a nerve Dave, but it’s like shooting fish in a barrel with you lot. By the way there’s a calculator on your phone that will help you do the maths on the age thing. This article should be going behind the pay wall shortly, so see you Thursday, unless you hit one of the options provided ;-)
@Brian Dunne: I wouldn’t bother with him Brian it’s obvious that about 30 years or so of hurt and to coincide with ferguson being man united manager and winning most of them years really done a job on him.