Ireland leapfrog England in world rankings ahead of Twickenham showdown

It's Ireland's best ranking since before the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Ireland have risen to second place in the World Rugby Rankings thanks to their Six Nations title success, writes Stephen Barry.

Joe Schmidt's side's 11-game winning streak, coupled with England's pair of shock defeats, has seen Ireland leapfrog Eddie Jones' team by 0.35 ranking points.

The pair will face off at Twickenham on St Patrick's Day, with a Grand Slam and Triple Crown at stake for Ireland.

It's the first time since August 2015, just before the Rugby World Cup, that Ireland have been second in the rankings.

Scotland's 20-point loss to Ireland saw them fall below South Africa and into sixth place, while France jumped two places to eighth by beating England.

New Zealand remain well clear at top of the rankings.