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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – A few weeks of unusually rocky fortunes by both the South African national rugby and cricket sides are reflected in the latest global rankings.
Certainly this country, not long ago boasting blissful, top-of-pile status in Test rugby and cricket and one-day international cricket simultaneously, is the most notable tumbler in officials rankings issued by both the International Rugby Board and International Cricket Council in the past few days.
In a nutshell, South Africa have lost supreme bragging rights at both international rugby and in cricket’s ODI arena.
What’s more, although the Proteas still cling to top position on the Test-match ladder, their status is under very immediate threat from India – coached, of course, by a former SA icon in Gary Kirsten.
India start the final Test of a three-match series against still second-ranked Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday already 1-0 to the good and knowing that victory will take them above South Africa, and into top position for the first time ever.
It will be the first Test at the venue in 36 years and the hosts are fortified by knowledge that they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 144 runs at Kanpur in the second contest a few days earlier.
A draw or Indian defeat will see the Proteas just retain their hold on leadership – they have had it since August, when Australia (currently as low as fourth but showing ominous signs of awakening) basically began to unravel in the away Ashes series.
In the ODI fold, South Africa lost their No 1 ranking in September, after holding it for some seven months, as their home Champions Trophy campaign fizzled disappointingly with one win in three matches and failure to make the semi-finals.
And not even a redeeming, 2-2 series-squaring win against surprises packages England at Kingsmead on Friday would aid the Proteas’ quest to regain lost ground, as they would have been expected upfront to actually beat Andrew Strauss’s fifth-ranked side.
At least Graeme Smith and company have the knowledge that a four-Test home series against the same opponents looms, and then also a Test and ODI tour of India in February, which would be a perfect opportunity – however difficult – to restore some dual rankings lustre.
On the IRB rugby front, it is slightly galling for the Springboks (World Cup champions, Tri-Nations champions and conquerors of the British and Irish Lions earlier in the year too) to end 2009 suddenly relegated to second spot behind their greatest foe the All Blacks.
It means that New Zealand have ended a calendar year atop the rankings for the fifth time since they were introduced in 2003.
Only exceptions for them were the maiden year, when England’s World Cup triumph put them in front, and 2007 after the Boks had won their own (second) World Cup.
The All Blacks’ leapfrogging of the Boks is mostly due to their unbeaten European tour, culminating in a slick 39-12 thumping of France on their own soil on Saturday.
John Smit’s side have paid a heavy price for their rather awful northern tour, by contrast, which saw them lose to both France and Ireland and only beat minnows Italy.
But the system still seems a little flawed, somehow, in its volatility, when you consider that the Boks whipped New Zealand 3-0 in Tri-Nations Tests this year.
You would think those results would command a slightly more lingering gravitas …
IRB rankings:
1. New Zealand (rating 91.68); 2. South Africa (88.59); 3. Australia (85.55); 4. Ireland (84.58); 5. France 82.40
ICC Test rankings:
1. South Africa (122); 2. Sri Lanka (120); 3. India (119); 4. Australia (116); 5. England (105)
ICC ODI rankings:
1. Australia (130); 2. India (122); 3. South Africa (119); 4. New Zealand (112); 5. England (109)
Cape Town – A few weeks of unusually rocky fortunes by both the South African national rugby and cricket sides are reflected in the latest global rankings.
Certainly this country, not long ago boasting blissful, top-of-pile status in Test rugby and cricket and one-day international cricket simultaneously, is the most notable tumbler in officials rankings issued by both the International Rugby Board and International Cricket Council in the past few days.
In a nutshell, South Africa have lost supreme bragging rights at both international rugby and in cricket’s ODI arena.
What’s more, although the Proteas still cling to top position on the Test-match ladder, their status is under very immediate threat from India – coached, of course, by a former SA icon in Gary Kirsten.
India start the final Test of a three-match series against still second-ranked Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday already 1-0 to the good and knowing that victory will take them above South Africa, and into top position for the first time ever.
It will be the first Test at the venue in 36 years and the hosts are fortified by knowledge that they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 144 runs at Kanpur in the second contest a few days earlier.
A draw or Indian defeat will see the Proteas just retain their hold on leadership – they have had it since August, when Australia (currently as low as fourth but showing ominous signs of awakening) basically began to unravel in the away Ashes series.
In the ODI fold, South Africa lost their No 1 ranking in September, after holding it for some seven months, as their home Champions Trophy campaign fizzled disappointingly with one win in three matches and failure to make the semi-finals.
And not even a redeeming, 2-2 series-squaring win against surprises packages England at Kingsmead on Friday would aid the Proteas’ quest to regain lost ground, as they would have been expected upfront to actually beat Andrew Strauss’s fifth-ranked side.
At least Graeme Smith and company have the knowledge that a four-Test home series against the same opponents looms, and then also a Test and ODI tour of India in February, which would be a perfect opportunity – however difficult – to restore some dual rankings lustre.
On the IRB rugby front, it is slightly galling for the Springboks (World Cup champions, Tri-Nations champions and conquerors of the British and Irish Lions earlier in the year too) to end 2009 suddenly relegated to second spot behind their greatest foe the All Blacks.
It means that New Zealand have ended a calendar year atop the rankings for the fifth time since they were introduced in 2003.
Only exceptions for them were the maiden year, when England’s World Cup triumph put them in front, and 2007 after the Boks had won their own (second) World Cup.
The All Blacks’ leapfrogging of the Boks is mostly due to their unbeaten European tour, culminating in a slick 39-12 thumping of France on their own soil on Saturday.
John Smit’s side have paid a heavy price for their rather awful northern tour, by contrast, which saw them lose to both France and Ireland and only beat minnows Italy.
But the system still seems a little flawed, somehow, in its volatility, when you consider that the Boks whipped New Zealand 3-0 in Tri-Nations Tests this year.
You would think those results would command a slightly more lingering gravitas …
IRB rankings:
1. New Zealand (rating 91.68); 2. South Africa (88.59); 3. Australia (85.55); 4. Ireland (84.58); 5. France 82.40
ICC Test rankings:
1. South Africa (122); 2. Sri Lanka (120); 3. India (119); 4. Australia (116); 5. England (105)
ICC ODI rankings:
1. Australia (130); 2. India (122); 3. South Africa (119); 4. New Zealand (112); 5. England (109)
