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Wales could reap World Cup reward from a poor 2020
Top-tier status for struggling side means they'll avoid the likes of South Africa
Wales' Gareth Davies (second left) breaks through on his way to scoring his side's third try of the game during the Autumn Nations Cup match at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
WALES are likely to prove major beneficiaries of the rankings that will shape the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool draw in Paris today.
The coronavirus pandemic’s impact means that teams will be banded on where they stood in World Rugby’s official rankings 11 months ago.
Positions after the autumn Tests would normally be used to form the draw bands – which ensure that the best-ranked teams are dispersed evenly among the tournament’s pools – but teams such as South Africa and Japan have not played this year.
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