The final World Rugby rankings of 2022 have been published, with Wales now only just ahead of Japan in ninth position.
Wayne Pivac's side actually fell to ninth after defeat to Georgia, but the late collapse against Australia on Saturday means they are now just 0.7 rankings points ahead of 10th-placed Japan.
Wales have only been as low as 10th in the world twice before - once after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, when they were sent crashing out of the tournament by Fiji, and then in 2013 after losing all four of their autumn internationals in 2012 before defeat to Ireland in the opening Six Nations game. They did then recover to win the 2013 Six Nations title, which included that astonishing 30-3 win over England.
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Wales were placed fourth in the rankings when Pivac took the job in November, 2019, having occupied top spot during the summer ahead of the last Rugby World Cup.
Ireland finish the year as the number one side, with France in second despite beating every other frontline international team in their last 11 matches. New Zealand and South Africa are next, with the world's top four nations some distance ahead of the rest.
England are fifth, Australia sixth, Scotland seventh and Argentina eighth after the autumn internationals.
The final World Rugby rankings for 2022
| 1 | Ireland | 90.63 | ||
| 2 | France | 90.01 | ||
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.98 | ||
| 4 | South Africa | 88.97 | (+0.96) | |
| 5 | England | 83.66 | (-0.96) | |
| 6 | (↑8) | Australia | 81.80 | (+1.16) |
| 7 | (↓6) | Scotland | 81.55 | |
| 8 | (↓7) | Argentina | 80.72 | |
| 9 | Wales | 78.09 | (-1.16) | |
| 10 | Japan | 77.39 | ||
| 11 | Samoa | 76.03 | ||
| 12 | Italy | 75.95 | ||
| 13 | Georgia | 75.19 | ||
| 14 | Fiji | 74.84 | ||
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