France's comprehensive 33-6 win over Australia Saturday in Saint-Denis, France has pushed Les Bleus past England into the No. 4 ranking. The movement is significant because the top four teams as of December 3rd will be placed in separate pools for Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, assuring Les Bleus they won't have to play any of the Southern Hemisphere giants in pool play.
The loss drops Australia to No. 3 behind New Zealand and South Africa, following their recent wins over Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Ireland's loss drops them below Argentina, who beat Wales on the weekend.
The Eagles stand pat at No. 17 despite beating Russia. The Eagles won by 14 and were just one point shy of the 15-point-win that would have garnered them more rankings points. Russia drops one spot behind Spain as a result of the loss.
Just ahead of the USA, Japan jumped over Georgia to No. 15 and Georgia receded to No. 16. following Japan's 34-23 win over Romania. The Eagles could well surpass Georgia with another win or two this fall.