hia, said Conceicao, who stood atop the podium with his arms raised, basking in cheers. I continued to fight because of them. They gave me the strength whe

Rugbys latest world rankings have reaffirmed what has been apparent for the last two months - the All Blacks are light years ahead of the chasing pack.New Zealand have climbed to the highest points total of any team since the rankings were introduced in 2003, sitting on 96.57.The margin back to second-ranked England of 7.08 points is also the biggest lead ever held, following the All Blacks dominant 3-0 home sweep of Wales and an unchallenged romp through the Rugby Championship.Currently on a world record 17-Test winning run, the All Blacks havent budged from top spot since claiming it from the Springboks seven years ago, a period which has encompassed two World Cup wins.South Africas recent woes are reflected in a drop to fourth behind Australia.Argentina fall to ninth after finishing last in the Rugby Championship, having notched just one win.Rankings:1 New Zealand; 2, England; 3 Australia; 4 South Africa; 5 Wales; 6 Ireland; 7 France; 8 Scotland. 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LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Robson Conceicao couldnt step up onto a medal podium without thinking about where his climb began.His mind is never far from his impoverished neighborhood, where he discovered and honed a boxing talent that finally lifted him all the way into Brazilian sports history.The lightweight won Brazils first Olympic boxing gold medal on Tuesday night, delighting a frenzied home audience with a unanimous decision over Frances Sofiane Oumiha.Its amazing that my life has changed forever, Conceicao said.The largest boxing crowd of the Olympics filled the arena with songs, cheers and foot-stomping craziness for Conceicao, who found his path out of poverty through the boxing rings of the state of Bahia, the sports biggest hotbed in Brazil.It was an incredible feeling to represent the whole of Brazil and also Bahia, said Conceicao, who stood atop the podium with his arms raised, basking in cheers. I continued to fight because of them. They gave me the strength when I was fighting, so it was an incredible feeling. Its because of them that I got this medal.Conceicao is an appropriate trailblazer in a sport without a rabid passion or fan base in Brazil. Conceicao fights aggressively but with a Cuban-style skill base and an elusive fluidity that contains hints of capoeira, samba and the clever style of Anderson Silva -- Brazils greatest mixed martial artist.Even if they dont follow boxing, everybody in Brazil recognizes something in his style, Conceicao suggested earlier in the tournament. And now theyll all understand the gold around his neck.The 27-year-old three-time Olympian reached the peak of his skills just in time for his home games, storming through his bracket as the third seed and winning gold.He credits his abilities to Bahia, where athletic Cuban fighting styles are often taught by imported Cuban coaches.Bahia has got the strongest reputation for boxing in the whole of Brazil, he said. Thats only because theres a lot of poverty. A lott of kids are encouraged to box to get out, to escape.ddddddddddddBrazil had won one silver and three bronze medals in its modest Olympic boxing history, and Conceicao proved he deserved his gold with a strong performance against Oumiha.Conceicaos elusiveness, aggressiveness and creative punching kept Oumiha frustrated and hurt for the first two rounds, and a solid third was too late for the Frenchman.Conceicao collapsed to his knees when the decision was announced. He then jumped against the turnbuckle and onto the ropes, waving his adoration at the singing, roaring crowd. He eventually climbed out of the ring to kiss his young daughter, Sofia, and his wife, Erika Mattos, who is also a boxer.Conceicao claimed Brazils third gold medal of its home Games, joining mens pole vault champion Thiago Braz da Silva and womens judo lightweight Rafaela Silva.Unlike most of his Brazilian boxing teammates, Conceicao is a tested veteran and a serious contender for the top honors in their sport. Along with his Olympic experience in Beijing and London, he finished second at the 2013 world championships and third in 2015.After receiving an opening bye in Rio, Conceicao advanced to the gold-medal match with a quarterfinal win over Uzbekistans Hurshid Tojibaev and a cathartic semifinal victory over Cubas Lazaro Alvarez, a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist.Although Conceicao clearly won his final bout, home teams have received a boxing bump in the previous two Olympics.China won its first two boxing gold medals among its Olympics-leading four total medals from the Beijing tournament in 2008. Britain led the London Olympics with three gold medals and finished second with five total medals.Brazil has just one fighter left in Rio: middleweight Andreia Bandeira, who fights Chinas Li Quan for a medal on Wednesday. ' ' '