Cape Town - Following their 19-10 win over France in Paris, the Springboks have narrowed the gap to No 1-ranked New Zealand in the IRB world rankings.
The All Blacks edged Ireland 24-22 in Dublin on Sunday and finished atop the rankings for a fourth straight year.
New Zealand stayed on 93.81 ratings points though, with South Africa slightly increasing their rating from the previous week.
The Boks finished the year on 89.34 points, 4.47 points behind the Kiwis after trailing by 5.04 last week.
Australia - who beat Scotland 21-15 in Edinburgh - moved back into the top three, replacing England, while Wales moved past France into fifth spot after beating Tonga 17-7 in Cardiff.
Top 10 in the latest IRB world rankings:
1. New Zealand 93.81
2. South Africa 89.34
3. Australia 86.09
4. England 85.70
5. Wales 80.98
6. France 80.87
7. Ireland 79.33
8. Samoa 77.34
9. Scotland 76.56
10. Argentina 76.44
CLICK HERE for the full list of IRB rankings.
The All Blacks edged Ireland 24-22 in Dublin on Sunday and finished atop the rankings for a fourth straight year.
New Zealand stayed on 93.81 ratings points though, with South Africa slightly increasing their rating from the previous week.
The Boks finished the year on 89.34 points, 4.47 points behind the Kiwis after trailing by 5.04 last week.
Australia - who beat Scotland 21-15 in Edinburgh - moved back into the top three, replacing England, while Wales moved past France into fifth spot after beating Tonga 17-7 in Cardiff.
Top 10 in the latest IRB world rankings:
1. New Zealand 93.81
2. South Africa 89.34
3. Australia 86.09
4. England 85.70
5. Wales 80.98
6. France 80.87
7. Ireland 79.33
8. Samoa 77.34
9. Scotland 76.56
10. Argentina 76.44
CLICK HERE for the full list of IRB rankings.