New Zealand will be looking to kick off their end of year tour with a seventh successive victory over Australia when the sides meet in the final Bledisloe Cup match of 2009 in the Japanese capital Tokyo on Saturday.
The All Blacks will remain second in the IRB World Rankings regardless of the result in only the second Bledisloe Cup match to be played outside of New Zealand or Australia, albeit closer to the Springboks above them or the Wallabies below.
A repeat of New Zealand's convincing 33-6 Tri Nations victory in Wellington last month will increase their rating by just over eight tenths to 90.44, but this will still leave them trailing South Africa in top spot by over a point.
Australia, who have lost five of their last six matches in 2009 - the exception a 21-6 defeat of Tri Nations champions South Africa in Brisbane, would in this instance see their advantage over fourth ranked Ireland cut in half to just over a point.
However, if the Wallabies could end their losing streak against New Zealand with a first win since a 34-19 triumph in Sydney last July then they could close to within a tenth of their rivals with a victory by more than 15 points in Tokyo.
Such a result would leave Ireland, the leading northern hemisphere nation, trailing Australia in third by four points and leave South Africa with a similar cushion over both the Wallabies and All Blacks before a busy November for all the leading nations.
European tussles
Away from the Bledisloe Cup encounter in Tokyo, there are four European Nations Cup matches over the weekend, the most high profile of them being the battle between Moldova and Belgium in Division 2A, which forms part of the region's qualifying process for Rugby World Cup 2011.
Belgium may be the highest ranked of these sides at 31st - nine places above their visitors to Brussels - but they have not beaten Moldova in their last three meetings, the most recent encounter resulting in a 20-8 defeat in Chisinau last November.
Even if Belgium manage to taste victory over Moldova for the first time since April 2001 then they will not improve their ranking, regardless of the winning margin. They can only increase their rating by just under four tenths with an emphatic victory.
Moldova will slide three places with defeat, but if they can make it four successive wins they will climb between three and six places, condemning Belgium to a potential fall to 39th if they can triumph at the Stade Roi Baudouin by more than 15 points.
Quartet battle in Division 2A
Four of the five sides in Division 2B are also in action this weekend with Croatia welcoming Malta to Split and the Netherlands travelling to Trelleborg to face Sweden with the quartet all still capable of claiming the title and promotion at the end of the season.
Croatia currently occupy top spot after beating Latvia away last Saturday, a result which saw them climb one place to 42nd in the IRB World Rankings. Another victory could see them rise another two places with Malta remaining in 54th spot.
Victory is a must if Malta are to have a chance of finishing top of the standings. If they do manage to end a run of three losses to Croatia then they will climb a minimum of five places, although they could surge to 44th and end the weekend above their hosts with a convincing victory.
The Netherlands currently enjoy a 14-match winning streak against Sweden dating back to the early 1970s and are the higher ranked side at 36th, albeit only by eight places and three rating points. They are the only unbeaten side in Division 2B and trail Croatia by a single point with a game in hand.
If they maintain this 100 percent record then they can climb up to three places, depending on the scoreline and the result in Brussels. A win by more than 15 points could condemn their hosts Sweden to a five place fall to 49th.
Sweden, beaten 36-24 by the Dutch in Amsterdam in April, are unlikely to better their position even with a convincing victory by virtue of being the home side and trailing Kenya above them by just over 1.5 rating points. The Netherlands, though, could slide to 39th.
Regaining lost ground
Lithuania were due to face Armenia in Division 3A this weekend, but the latter have withdrawn from the match in Klaipeda. Under the competition rules, Lithuania will be awarded a 6-0 victory and remain unbeaten at the top of the standings.
This award of victory will not have any impact on their ranking of 38th because Armenia are not a full Member Union of the International Rugby Board and therefore not ranked. However, if the Netherlands lose to Sweden then Lithuania will climb one place as a result of the Dutch fall.
The only other match this weekend, however, will effect the rankings with Hungary hoping to regain top spot in Division 3B from Slovenia with victory in Denmark.
A repeat of their 39-12 victory over the Danish national side in their only previous meeting two years ago will achieve that and also result in a four place climb to 56th in the IRB World Rankings and send their hosts plummeting seven places to 77th.
Denmark could regain all but one of the five places lost with their defeat to lower ranked Norway last time out with victory over Hungary, a win by any margin to result in a four place climb to 66th. Hungary would fall four places to 64th in defeat.
The IRB World Rankings update every Monday at 12:00 UK time.