France and Ireland go head-to-head on tonight to kick-off the 2026 Six Nations with what has all the makings of a certified blockbuster.
These countries have shared the last four Six Nations titles between them, with a Grand Slam apiece in that time, and Ireland - now helmed again by Andy Farrell - are out for revenge following last year’s drubbing in Dublin by the eventual winners.
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France, who host the opener at the iconic Stade de France in Paris this time around, have welcomed back star skipper Antoine Dupont after the influential scrum-half missed most of 2025 with a knee injury picked up in that last meeting between these two teams.
With a squad full of talent, head coach Fabien Galthie will be a firm believer that his group can go back-to-back as champions for the only the second time in Six Nations history.
The injury-hit Irish, meanwhile, are also among the favourites to come out on top, and a seventh title since the turn of the century would see them pull level with France and England as the most accomplished country in the competition.
There are five action-packed rounds of rugby across six weeks between now and mid-March until a victor is confirmed, but the result of this very first outing in Paris on February 5 could prove to be a pivotal one.
Where to watch France vs Ireland
TV channel: In the UK, France vs Ireland is being shown live and free-to-air on ITV1 and STV, with coverage beginning at 7:20pm GMT ahead of kick-off at 8:10pm.
Live stream: Live coverage of the game will also be available for online streaming via the ITVX website and app, which is free with a registration.
Live blog: Meanwhile, you can follow the action as it happens in Paris on Thursday right here with us, in Standard Sport’s dedicated live blog.
