England have claimed top spot in the world rankings after their comprehensive win over South Africa on Saturday.

It is the second time England have reached the summit - the first being only for a brief time in February 2001.

The 53-3 win over South Africa saw England leapfrog Australia and New Zealand, who they beat in successive weekends before tackling the Springboks.

In contrast, South Africa have slumped to fifth, their lowest position since the inception of the rankings.

Wales, Ireland and Scotland all added to their points tally but maintained their positions in the top 10.

1 England 1217
2 New Zealand 1206
3 Australia 1146
4 France 1112
5 South Africa 1045
6 Ireland 857
7 Scotland 835
8 Wales 772
9 Argentina 755
10 Samoa 680
11 Canada 603
12 Italy 573
13 Fiji 567
14 Tonga
15 Japan 482
16 Romania 378
17 Georgia 353
18 United States 345
19 Uruguay 295
20 Namibia 294