World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for the matches in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations, the Rugby Europe Women’s Trophy and the Tri-Series in Australia this weekend.
Permutation highlights:
- France will climb above New Zealand into second place if they avoid defeat against England – the first time they have been ranked as high since July 2016
- Les Bleues will surpass 90 rating points for the first time if they win by more than 15 points
- England could break through the 97-point rating for the first time since the rankings were introduced in February 2016 if they win by more than 15 points to increase their cushion over New Zealand to 8.45 rating points
- France will fall one place to fourth if they lose to England with Canada the beneficiaries
- Wales will climb one place if they beat Italy and Ireland lose to Scotland, but must win by more than 15 points to sit above the Azzurre
- This scenario would see Wales equal their highest ever ranking of seventh – a position they have not occupied since February 2018
- Defeat could see Wales drop out of the top 10 depending on the margin and the outcome of Ireland v Scotland
- Italy will jump two places to sixth if they win, regardless of what happens in Belfast
- Ireland cannot improve on seventh place with victory over Scotland and will fall if Italy also end the Championship on a winning note
- Scotland will drop out of the top 10 if they lose to Ireland
- However, victory would lift Scotland above a beaten Wales into ninth place
- Scotland could reach a new high of eighth if the margin of victory over Ireland is more than 15 points, making them the higher ranked of the two nations
- Seventh is possible if Scotland win by more than 15 points and Wales win by a smaller margin – a scenario which would drop Ireland three places to 10th
- Japan cannot improve their rating with victory over Fiji in Australia due to the 12.87 rating points between the two sides
- Fiji can only improve on 21st place if they win by more than 15 points and Germany lose by the same margin to Portugal – a scenario which would see the sides swap places
- Japan will fall one place – below South Africa – if they lose by more than 15 points
- Portugal will jump at least eight places if they beat the higher-ranked Germany with a win by more than 15 points lifting them 10 places to 39th
- A draw would see Portugal climb five places to 44th
- Germany cannot improve their rating with victory over Portugal due to the 21.72 points between the sides before home weighting is factored in
Match Officials
- Amber McLachlan (Australia) takes charge of a match involving Italy for the first time, having refereed Wales on her Women’s Six Nations debut against England in 2020
- Hollie Davidson (Scotland) referees a France-England encounter for the third time but the first on French soil. She was in charge of the 2021 final which England won 10-6 at the Twickenham Stoop last April
- Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand) takes charge of Ireland for the second weekend running, having made her test debut in the middle of their 69-0 loss to England in Leicester
- Jess Ling (Australia) will make her test debut when she takes charge of Fiji v Japan on the Gold Coast on Sunday in the first match of the Tri-Series in Australia
- Wales have made wholesale changes for the visit of Italy – eight personnel and two positional, including a new front-row with Cara Hope and Kelsey Jones both starting for the first time in 2022
- Italy hand their most-capped player Sara Barattin the starting nine jersey with prop Silvia Turani and number eight Elisa Giordana also coming into the starting line-up
- Olympic silver medallist Caroline Drouin returns at fly-half with the impressive Jessy Trémoulière dropping to the bench as one of two personnel and two positional changes for Les Bleues
- England make only one change with Poppy Cleall replacing the injured Sarah Hunter at number eight. Emily Scarratt is named as captain in Hunter’s absence for the first time since the 2021 final with France
- Two of Ireland’s three personnel changes are enforced due to injury with Nicole Cronin and Eimear Considine ruled out. Nicky Caughey comes in at fly-half for a first test since November 2018 with Vicky Irwin to win her first cap at full-back
- Scotland have named an unchanged starting line-up, but three players do come onto the bench in back-row Eva Donaldson, scrum-half Mairi McDonald and centre Emma Orr
- Japan name two uncapped players in their starting line-up in hooker Asuka Kuge and winger Rinka Matsuda, while number eight Mateitoga Bogidraumainadave features for the first time since RWC 2017
- Fiji are yet to name their match-day squad for Sunday
The rankings preview can be read via the Match Notes page in the Media Zone.
With thanks to World Rugby
