Ireland back in top four

FOLLOWING their 19-13 Six Nations defeat of England, Ireland return to the IRB world top four for the first time since November 2003.

With champions France losing 24-18 to Wales in Paris on Saturday, and Ireland claiming back-to-back championship wins over the world champions, the Irish are ranked as the leading side in the Northern Hemisphere.

The new rankings, released yesterday, see France and Ireland swap places in fourth and fifth, less than a fortnight ahead of their Six Nations meeting in Dublin. England and Wales remain in sixth and seventh, while Scotland rise above Fiji into ninth.