Rugby | World Rugby Men's Rankings 17-18 February, 2024

World Rugby has published the ranking permutations for the third round of the Rugby Europe Championship this weekend.

Permutation highlights:

• Georgia cannot improve on 13th place this weekend as they won’t be awarded any points in victory due to the 9.22 points between themselves and Spain before home advantage is factored in.
• However, the Lelos will drop at least two places in defeat, possibly three, depending on the margin and the result of the Romania v Portugal game.
• It is not possible for Spain to climb higher than their present position of 19th even if they beat Georgia away from home for the first time by a significant scoreline.
• Portugal will leapfrog Georgia and move up to 15th place if they win and Georgia lose.
• Os Lobos can still climb to 15th if Georgia win but only if they beat Romania by more than 15 points, a scenario which would lift them above Tonga.
• Portugal will close to within one place of their all-time high of 13th if they win by more than 15 points and Georgia slip up.
• Romania will replace Spain in 19th if they beat Portugal and Los Leones fail to come away from Tbilisi with a win.
• Spain’s place in the top 20 is safe, though, because they will not lose any rating points in defeat so cannot drop below Canada in 21st.
• With a maximum of 0.28 points on offer it is not possible for Belgium to catch Russia above them in the rankings even if they beat Poland by more than 15 points.
• Poland will stay in 33rd, still marginally ahead of Zimbabwe, if that scenario unfolds.
• Poland stand to gain between two and four places depending on the margin of victory.
• The Netherlands will climb above Brazil in victory, and also Belgium, if the Black Devils fail to win and the Dutch beat Germany by more than 15 points.
• A lesser margin of victory would be sufficient for the Netherlands to go up to 27th if Belgium lose.
• The lowest Belgium can fall to is 30th.
• A narrow victory for Germany over the Netherlands would translate into a three-place gain. But if they win by more than 15 points and that margin is matched by Poland in Waterloo, the Black Eagles can climb four places to 28th.
• The Netherlands could drop as many as three places, depending on the margin of any defeat to Germany and the outcome of Belgium v Poland.

Match officials:

• Sam Grove-White (Scotland) will take charge of the Pool A decider between Georgia and Spain for the first time. It will be his first time refereeing the Lelos, while Spain were victorious in their only previous encounter with Grove-White in the middle, 38-21 against Romania in 2022.
• Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) referees Romania v Portugal for the second time, having overseen Portugal's 38-20 victory in last year's Rugby Europe Championship. He took charge of both teams at Rugby World Cup 2023, in their defeats against Ireland and Australia respectively.
• Ben Breakspear (Wales) will be in the middle for Belgium v Poland in the Rugby Europe Championship, two years on from his last test match in the competition. 
• Andrew Cole (Ireland) will referee the Netherlands and Germany for the first time in what will be his third consecutive Rugby Europe Championship.