The most satisfying week in Irish sporting history? If their horses can cope with the soft ground at Cheltenham and their rugby players canter to a triumphant grand slam at Twickenham on Saturday the next few days will definitely be up there. Just imagine the wild delight on St Patrick’s Day should England trail in a distant second behind Rory Best’s thoroughbred Six Nations champions.
The latest official World Rugby rankings are already worth toasting. As a consequence of their team’s four successive championship victories to date and England’s recent nosedive, the rankings now read as follows: 1) New Zealand, 2) Ireland, 3) England, 4) Australia, 5) South Africa. It is only the second time in history the Irish have been ranked so high – the previous occasion was for a fleeting fortnight in August 2015 just before the last World Cup.
Related: Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale at the double against Scots to secure Six Nations title
Related: Uninspired England’s title hopes ended in scrappy defeat by France
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