England and NZ a class above

England and New Zealand remain the two sides to beat according to the latest Zurich World Rankings, with the Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists nearly neck and neck at the top of the tree.

ABs on form: New Zealand closing in on England

They remain some way clear of France whose recent World Cup form has seen them overhaul Australia for third spot, the top four teams favoured by the Rankings computer to now come through their respective quarter-final ties.

England are tipped to cruise past Wales by 52 points, New Zealand 26 over South Africa, France by 16 over Six Nations' rivals Ireland and Australia by 35 over the struggling Scots.

Little other change in the top 10 positions but lower down the sees a number of the minnows switch around, USA, Fiji, Romania and Uruguay all gaining places after their four RWC games.

Zurich World Rankings (as of Nov 5, 2003)

(-) 1 England 1322 (+24)  
(-) 2 New Zealand 1318 (+40)
(+1) 3 France 1147 (+43)
(-1) 4 Australia 1143 (+35)
(-) 5 South Africa 1029 (+23)
(-) 6 Ireland 949 (+20)
(-) 7 Argentina 873 (+15)
(-) 8 Scotland 762 (+6)
(-) 9 Wales 724 (+25)
(-) 10 Samoa 689 (+14)
(+1) 11 Fiji 568 (+7)
(-1) 12 Canada 557 (-12)
(-) 13 Italy 556 (+7)
(-) 14 Tonga 518 (-9)
(+1) 15 United States 444 (-1)
(-1) 16 Japan 436 (-21)
(+1) 17 Romania 348 (-9)
(-1) 18 Georgia 338 (-25)
(+1) 19 Uruguay 298 (+3)
(+1) 20 Portugal 292 (-)

(-2) 21 Namibia 291 (-12)
(-) 22 Russia 276
(-) 23 Morocco 261 (+3)
(-) 24 Tunisia 254
(-) 25 Chile 251
(-) 26= Cote d'Ivoire 237
(-) 26= Czech Republic 237
(-) 28 Spain 234
(-) 29 Korea 233 (+5)
(+2) 30 Ukraine 232 (+8)
(-1) 31 Germany 221 (-4)
(+1) 32 Netherlands 218
(+1) 33= Cook Islands 216
(+2) 33= Denmark 216 (+5)
(-3) 35 Poland 215 (-4)
(+2) 36 Switzerland 211 (+7)
(-) 37 Slovenia 208 (+1)
(+2) 38 Latvia 203 (+6)
(-3) 39 Croatia 202 (-8)
40= Zimbabwe 196
40= Sweden 196

(+1) 42= Belgium 193
(+1) 42= Papua New Guinea 193
(+2) 44 Hong Kong 188
(-6) 45 Brazil 187 (-11)
(-1) 46 Chinese Taipei 185 (-5)
47 Paraguay 171
48 Madagascar 173
49 Kenya 164
50 Arabian Gulf 163
51 Yugoslavia 150
52 Trinidad and Tobago 147
(+1) 53 Austria 135
(-1) 54 Hungary 133 (-7)
55 Bermuda 132
56 Andorra 131
57 Malaysia 126
(+2) 57 Moldova 126 (+5)
(-1) 59 Thailand 125
60 China 119

61 Singapore 112
(+2) 62 Zambia 104 (+11)
(-1) 63 Uganda 101 (-5)
(-1) 64 Lithuania 98
(+3) 65 Venezuela 94 (+7)
(-2) 66 Kazakhstan 91 (-2)
(-1) 67 Sri Lanka 90 (-1)
(-1) 68 Botswana 88
69= Cameroon 79
69= Cayman Islands 79
71 Israel 77
72 Niue Island 76
(+1) 73 Tahiti 68
(+1) 74 Malta 66
(-2) 75= Bosnia 63
(+2) 75= Luxembourg 63
(-1) 77 Bulgaria 58
78 Jamaica 48
79= Solomon Islands 37
(-) 79= Peru 37 (-)
81 Monaco 36
82 Swaziland 34
83 Barbados 29
84= Mexico 26
84= Norway 26
86= Bahamas 24
86= Guyana 24
88= Vanuatu 23
(+1) 88= Colombia 23 (+3)