World Rugby rankings reflect northern rise, southern slide

By STEVE McMORRAN
AP Sports Writer

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The release of World Rugby rankings this week has been accompanied by little fanfare though at a glance it seems to represent one of the most significant power shifts in the global game for several years. Four Northern Hemisphere teams won the second matches in their three-test series against Southern Hemisphere opponents last weekend. And so the New Zealand vs. Ireland, Australia vs. England, South Africa vs. Wales and Argentina vs. Scotland series have all gone to deciding tests which will be played across three continents on Saturday. France at the same time completed a sweep of its two-test series against Japan in Japan, using a young squad with an eye to the World Cup it will host next year.