Wales have moved back into the top 10 in the world rugby rankings for the first time in over two years, without playing a match this weekend.
Japan's 35-32 defeat to Australia in Osaka has lifted Steve Tandy's side to 10th, marking the first time since July 2024 that Wales have been part of the top 10.
Japan's Narrow Defeat
Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms had threatened to spoil Les Kiss' first match in charge of the Wallabies, running Australia close. The scores were level at the break, with Ryunosuke Ito and Faulua Makisi scoring for Japan, while Australia had Harry Potter and Tom Wright to thank for their first-half tries.
The Wallabies were dealt a blow when Miles Amatosero was shown a 20-minute red card for a high clearout on Warner Dearns. Despite that setback, the Wallabies pushed ahead early in the second half, with Max Jorgensen and Fraser McReight touching down either side of Taira Main's score.
Late Drama
The boot of Takuro Matsunaga kept Japan in the match, only for Taniela Tupou's try 10 minutes from time to seemingly make things safe. The influential Dearns gave Japan hope late on, crashing over a try with a minute to go, but a first-ever win over Australia eluded Japan in the end.
With the Wallabies getting over the line in Kiss' first match in charge, Japan drop two places in the rankings. Wales move up to 10th, with Italy climbing to 11th.
Wales' Recent Decline
The relative rise comes after Wales dropped dramatically down the rankings in recent years. Back in 2019, they were briefly top of the rankings after a 14-match unbeaten run. Having been ranked seventh in the world ahead of a World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in 2023, an 18-match losing run saw Wales plummet.
Having fallen out of the top 10 in 2024 following defeat to Australia in Sydney, they have remained there in the two years since. Last summer, they fell as low as 14th following a loss to Japan in Kitakyushu.
