Watch France vs Ireland live stream
The two pre-tournament favorites France and Ireland go head-to-head in this evening's Six Nations opener in a match-up that many had pegged as a possible World Cup final last October. Marseille has managed to avoid the foul weather affecting most of the rest of Europe, leaving ideal conditions for the 60,000+ crowd and international TV audience to enjoy some top quality rugby union tonight.
The France vs Ireland match at the 2024 Six Nations is free to watch on ITV in the UK and Virgin Media in Ireland. Peacock TV and DAZN and are the live streamers in the USA and Canada respectively. Down Under, it's Stan Sport in Australia and Sky Sport in New Zealand. And you can use a VPN to watch your chosen stream from wherever you are in the world.
- UK: ITVX (FREE)
- IRE: Virgin Media Player (FREE)
- US: Peacock TV / CNBC
- Watch anywhere with ExpressVPN
France vs Ireland live stream: Preview
With the Stade de France out of commission due to preparations for 2024's Paris Olympic Games, the first game of this Six Nations will take place at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. The start time is at 8pm GMT (3pm ET / 12pm PT) today, which is 7am AEDT in Australia.
With so much expected of these sides at the RWC, both sets of players and coaches will still have raw memories of their teams' respective painful quarter-final defeats.
For Ireland, there's a sense of a new dawn though, with the Johnny Sexton era now over. That leaves Peter O'Mahony as the new captain and Munster number 10 Jack Crowley expected to start at fly-half – both have huge shoes to fill.
The Men in Green swept all before them in last year's Six Nations, having waited five years since their previous championship. They did so in dominant style, too, chalking up their third Grand Slam in the current era. Andy Farrell will be determined to cement his legacy ahead of his gig coaching the British & Irish Lions, and that starts in Marseille today.
Ireland aren't the only side ruing the departure of their star man. Captain Antoine Dupont – winner of the last two successive Player of the Championship awards – has taken the somewhat radical step of sitting out this year's tournament in favour of preparing to lead the French Sevens team at the Olympics in the summer. Romain Ntamack is also missing for this one through injury, meaning a fresh halfback pairing of Maxime Lucu and Mathieu Jalibert.
You can watch all 2024 Six Nations games online for free, including this one. So keep reading to discover where to live stream France vs Ireland in your country and from anywhere in the world.
France vs Ireland teams:
France: 15-Ramos, 14-Penaud, 13-Fickou, 12-Danty, 11-Moefana; 10-Jalibert, 9-Lucu; 1-Baille, 2-Mauvaka, 3-Atonio, 4-Gabrillagues, 5-Willemse, 6-Cros, 7-Ollivon, 8-Alldritt (c)
Ireland: 15-Keenan, 14-Nash, 13-Henshaw, 12-Aki, 11-Lowe; 10-Crowley, 9-Gibson-Park; 1-Porter, 2-Sheehan, 3-Furlong, 4-McCarthy, 5-Beirne, 6-O'Mahony (c), 7-Van der Flier, 8-Caelan Doris
Free France vs Ireland live streams
This and every Six Nations game will be shown for free in the UK and Ireland.
In the UK, the free France vs Ireland live stream is on ITVX. While in Ireland it will be streamed for free on Virgin Media Player.
If you're outside of the UK or Ireland this weekend, you can always try using a VPN to get around geo-restrictions that you'll face when overseas. We recommend ExpressVPN as it's really easy to use, fantastic at unblocking restricted streams and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you change your mind.
Don't worry if you've never used a VPN before – it's really easy, and we have full instructions below.
Watch France vs Ireland live stream from anywhere
You won't be able to watch your regular France vs Ireland live stream while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.
You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch Six Nations live streams from anywhere in the world.
We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
How to use a VPN to stream France vs Ireland
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. So for Six Nations rugby, you may wish to choose a server in the UK.
3. Then head over to ITVX on your browser or device and enjoy the free France vs Ireland live stream!
Watch France vs Ireland in the UK
You can watch France vs Ireland live on ITV1 on TV this Friday night at 8pm GMT.
That means you can also stream the game online and for free on the channel's ITVX platform, available on browsers, smartphone app or a variety of streaming devices.
To stream live on ITVX, you should have a valid TV licence. While that isn't required for watching the game on catch-up.
Remember: use a VPN to access ITVX when travelling outside of the UK.
Watch Six Nations match in Ireland
Ireland's opening game of the Six Nations is being shown on the free-to-air Virgin Media One on TV in Ireland.
If you want to watch Ireland vs France online, then you can do so for free on the Virgin Media Player, with the service available across a wide range of devices.
Don't forget: Irish nationals can live stream every match free of charge while abroad with a VPN.
Watch France vs Ireland in Australia
Streaming service Stan Sport has the rights to show every match of the 2024 Six Nations live in Australia. This one kicks off at 7am AEDT on the morning of Saturday 3rd February.
To watch France vs Ireland ad-free you'll need a Basic Stan package ($10 a month) together with its Stan Sport add-on (a further $15).
Out of Australia? Use a VPN to access your local stream when away from home.
Watch France vs Ireland in the USA
NBC's Peacock TV streaming service is the only place to watch this 2024 Six Nations match live in the USA. It starts at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on Friday.
Peacock starts from only $5.99 a month, or you can pay more to get rid of the ads. In addition to the Six Nations, you'll also be able to watch the likes of EPL soccer, WWE, Premiership Rugby and lots more.
The Peacock TV app is available on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, LG smart TV, Vizio TV, PS4, and Xbox One. You can also watch through your web browser.
If you have access to CNBC and don't mind waiting, the match will be replayed in full there at 7am ET on the Sunday after the game.
Outside the US? Peacock TV is only available within the States so be sure to use a rugby-friendly VPN if you're a subscriber stuck abroad.
Watch France vs Ireland in New Zealand
Kiwis can watch France vs Ireland courtesy of Sky Sport, which is showing every game of the 2024 tournament. This match kicks off at 9am on Saturday morning.
Subscribers can also watch online using the its Sky Go service.
If you don't already have Sky and don't wish to commit to a full package just for the rugby, then Sky Sport Now offers weekly ($24.99) and monthly ($44.99) passes.
UK or Ireland rugby fan abroad? Live stream this Six Nations game on your home streaming service using a world class VPN.
Watch France vs Ireland in Canada
Specialist sports streaming service DAZN is the place to watch France vs Ireland, plus every other game of the 2024 Six Nations live in Canada. This game starts at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.
A DAZN subscription will currently set you back CA$29.99 a month or CA$199.99 a year.
Don't forget: Canadian nationals can live stream matches via DAZN when overseas with a VPN.
France vs Ireland live stream in South Africa
To watch France vs Ireland and all Six Nations 2024 fixtures in South Africa, you'll need access to SuperSport. If you can't watch on your TV, you can also tune in via the network's streaming service for PC and Mac, as well as via SuperSport's dedicated app.
Alternatively, you can get SuperSport channels via the DSTV streaming platform, with plans starting from R129 per month.
This one starts at 10pm SAST on Friday night.
Watch France vs Ireland in Singapore and Asia
Premier Sports has all the Six Nations action across most countries in Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
France vs Ireland starts at 8pm GMT, so double check your schedule for the start time in your time zone – in Singapore, for example, kick off is 4am on the morning of Saturday 3rd February.
A monthly pass for Premier Sports will currently set you back US$25.99, but there's a 45% discount to be had if you opt for an annual plan at US$169.99 for a full year.
In addition to the Six Nations, a Premier Sports subscription also gives you access to Heineken Champions Cup, Gallagher Premiership, NRL, URC and Rugby Championship action.
UK expat in Asia? Then use a VPN to watch the free coverage from back home.
France team to play Ireland
Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gaël Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Yoram Moefana; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu; Cyril Baille, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Paul Gabrillagues, Paul Willemse, François Cros, Charles Ollivon, Grégory Alldritt (captain).
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Reda Wardi, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, Cameron Woki, Paul Boudehent, Nolann le Garrec, Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
Ireland team to play France
Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash; Robbie Henshaw; Bundee Aki; James Lowe; Jack Crowley; Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter; Dan Sheehan; Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy; Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (captain); Josh van der Flier; Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher; Cian Healy; Finlay Bealham; James Ryan; Ryan Baird; Jack Conan; Conor Murray; Ciaran Frawley
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