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Wales become rugby world no. 1, dethrone All Blacks after decade on top

The rugby world can at least see the funny side after the All Blacks era of dominance ended following the Bledisloe bloodbath.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
2 min read
August 19, 2019 - 6:14AM
Wales claimed to world no. 1 rugby ranking from New Zealand.
Wales claimed to world no. 1 rugby ranking from New Zealand.

Wales have snatched the mantle of the world’s number one rugby team after their 13-6 win over England — ending the 10-year reign of the All Blacks.

The odd occurrence came after New Zealand demoralised Australia at Eden Park on Saturday night, winning 36-0 and claiming the Bledisloe Cup for the 17th straight season.

But apparently that wasn’t enough as Wales edged ahead of the Kiwis, moving to 89.43 points, just ahead of the All Blacks on 89.40 points.

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It’s left the world scratching their heads at the bizarre turn of events as the All Blacks’ time at the top ended after 509 weeks.

But Wales still have one mountain to climb — the side hasn’t defeated the All Blacks since 1953, which was the fourth meeting between the sides.

Wales actually won three of the first four games between the sides but since then the All Blacks have won the past 30 games.

The two teams haven’t played since November 2017, which will set up a mouth-watering clash if they meet in the World Cup.

Welsh coach Warren Gatland downplayed the achievement, pointing forward to the World Cup as the true test of their No. 1 credentials.

“It’s just a number, isn’t it,” Gatland said. “People will make a lot of it, it is a nice accolade to have, but it is all about the next few months and backing that up by performing well in the World Cup, and we’ve a couple of games against Ireland to go as well.

Wales coach Warren Gatland wasn’t too fussed.
Wales coach Warren Gatland wasn’t too fussed.

“It’s nice for a day, but we won’t be shouting from the rooftops about it. We have got to keep things in perspective. Lots of journalists out there saying ‘this is a joke’ — probably Kiwi journalists more than anything. It’s just a number, that’s all it is at the moment.

“The boys wear this jersey with pride, and if a team is going to beat us they are going to have to play pretty well because these boys are very proud Welshmen who are not going to roll over easily. We showed some big cojones today.”

Australian coach Eddie Jones joked the side were “favourites for the World Cup now — when you go to No 1, you’re favourites for the World Cup”.

Wales had been on an impressive run over the past year, winning the 2019 Six Nations undefeated in a 14-game run from March 2018 until the 33-19 friendly loss to England last week.

The world was quick to congratulate the Welsh.

For the All Blacks, it wasn’t a big deal with coach Steve Hansen brushing it off as the system being confusing.

“How do you work that out?” he said. “To me, I’ve never understood the system. You win a game and you lose the top ranking.

“The top-ranked sides are playing each other in the Northern Hemisphere and you get more points if you beat the top sides.”

The All Blacks will probably be okay as well.
The All Blacks will probably be okay as well.

Hansen was also more than happy to pass on all the pressure that comes with being the world’s best side on ahead of the World Cup.

“Now they’ve got the expectation that they’re number one in the world so they’ll take it into the World Cup,” he said.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/wales-become-rugby-world-no-1-dethrone-all-blacks-after-decade-on-top/news-story/ece2cf6f79a4fccd26686501648fac58