Is it too much to call this an early decider? For the past two years France and Ireland have been in a league of their own in the Six Nations, and on both occasions the outcome of this fixture has determined the destination of the Championship Trophy.
Neither team has played since going out at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup, a desperately disappointing outcome that they’ve each had more than three months to fixate on. The healing process begins here.
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Where to watch France vs Ireland
France vs Ireland is being shown on free-to-air ITV1 in the UK, with live streaming available via ITVX. Live coverage begins at 7.15pm GMT, ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
The game is also being shown for free on Virgin Media 1 in Ireland. Coverage begins at 7pm on Friday evening, and Virgin Media Player will let you watch a free France vs Ireland live stream.