Was 'the Riddler 1969' correct in praising England as being the lowest rank underdog to reach a RWC Final?

Question

There's been a lot of debate about the merits/demerits of the IRB ranking system.

Based on memory, does anyone recall the world rankings of the finalists in the previous 5 RWCs?

Answer 1

Where did I praise England for this? I stated they didnt deserve to be in the final given their pathetic efforts of the last four years. Give it 12 months and they will be down in 7th or 8th spot again.

Answer 2

Wow Susan C you are still carrying on?

Answer 3

No to the last bit, but according to the pundits we were ranked 8th at the start and 4th or 5th at the end. It was a remarkable turnaround, but then there have been a few upsets at this tournament. Argentina a real extra surprise package. The call for them to be admitted to one of the major events is wrong though as what should happen is that Argentina/USA/Canada/Uruguay etc should spread rugby around the America's by starting their own 'Nations' tournament. I suspect the call is about making sure the Webb-Elis trophy remains in the hands of a select few for another 20 years at least?