The 2024 Six Nations kicks off with an exciting match-up between France and Ireland in Marseille on Friday night.
Both teams are taking the field for the first time since their heart-wrenching losses in the quarter-finals of last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Ireland aims to replicate the success of their previous Grand Slam win against France in Dublin. Find out how you can watch Ireland vs France Six Nations live stream.
Watch the France vs Ireland live stream from anywhere
ITV is set to broadcast the opening match between France and Ireland. You can watch ITV’s coverage of Six Nations live from anywhere in the world using PureVPN.
- Subscribe to PureVPN.
- Download PureVPN app on any of your devices.
- Connect to the server in UK.
- Launch ITVx.
- Enjoy France vs Ireland live streaming on ITVx.
Watch Ireland vs France Live Stream on ITVx
The match will be broadcast live on ITV1 and will be available via streaming on ITVX. You can watch the Ireland vs France Six Nations opening game Live stream on ITV and ITVx.
This year, ITV is set to broadcast 10 out of 15 matches of the Guinness Six Nations. The matches on ITV will be aired on ITV1, ITVX, STV, STV Player, and UTV. The rest of the matches will be on BBC.
However, ITV is a British free-to-air streaming service; if you’re traveling abroad, you can use PureVPN to watch Ireland vs France Live Stream.
When and Where is Ireland vs France Six Nations Championship game
France is set to face Ireland on Friday, February 2nd, at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille. The kick-off time is at 8 pm.
France vs Ireland Six Nations Match Preview
Get ready for an epic showdown as the 2024 Six Nations kicks off, with France taking on Ireland in Marseille on 2nd February. These two powerhouse teams, who are considered favorites for the tournament, are set to clash in what could be the highlight match of the competition. This game is likely to have a significant impact on the final standings over the next six weeks.
While both teams are missing key players like France’s scrum-half Antoine Dupont, who’s focusing on the Olympics, and Ireland’s Johnny Sexton, who has retired, this opens up opportunities for new talent to shine.
As the most recent Grand Slam champions, both teams are eager to bounce back from their World Cup disappointments. Last year, Ireland, despite being the world’s number-one team, suffered a heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
France, on the other hand, fell short against eventual champions South Africa. Now, with both teams under the same coaching staff but with new captains in Peter O’Mahony for Ireland and Grégory Alldritt for France, they’re aiming to put those setbacks behind them.
In their recent encounters, both France and Ireland have been dominant, each winning nine out of their last ten Six Nations matches. Ireland swept through all five of their matches last year, even defeating France, who otherwise had a flawless run to the Grand Slam in 2022.
Considering this history, both teams understand the importance of this game in the race for the trophy. It’s shaping up to be an unmissable clash between two rugby giants.
France and Ireland Team Squads
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 (capt)
Replacements: 16-Marchand, 17-Wardi, 18-Aldegheri, 19-Woki, 20-Taofifenua, 21-Boudehent, 22-Le Garrec, 23-Bielle-Biarrey
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 (capt), 7-Van der Flier, 8-Caelan Doris
Replacements: 16-Kelleher, 17-Healy, 18-Bealham, 19-Ryan, 20-Baird, 21-Conan, 22-Murray, 23-Frawley
Ireland vs France Head-to-head
Ireland triumphed on their inaugural Six Nations visit to France in 2000. However, they’ve only managed victories in two out of eleven subsequent away encounters in this fixture, clinching wins in 2014 and 2018 (with one draw and eight losses).
In the last four Six Nations meetings between the two teams, France has emerged victorious in three, a stark improvement from their performance in the championship’s previous eight clashes, where they managed only one win (with two draws and five losses).
France:
- Before their loss to South Africa at the Rugby World Cup, France had been on an impressive streak, winning 24 out of their previous 26 matches.
- The defeat to the Springboks in the quarter-finals halted France’s run of 18 consecutive wins on home turf.
- Under Fabien Galthie’s coaching, France has maintained a perfect record of eight wins in all games played away from the Stade de France, including both previous matches at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
Ireland:
- Ireland’s loss to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals marked the end of their record-breaking 17-game winning streak.
- Since their 15-13 victory in Paris in 2018, Ireland has consistently managed to score at least one try in every Six Nations game.
- In last year’s Six Nations, Ireland topped the charts for carries with 696, as well as carry meters (4,286m) and meters in contact (1,177m).
Who are the Match officials?
The Six Nations opener, featuring the 2023 Grand Slam victors Ireland against the 2022 champions France, will be refereed by Karl Dickson.
Eight assistant referees, including Scotland’s Hollie Davidson, will make their debut in the Six Nations.
- Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
- Touch judges: Matthew Carley (England) & Jordan Way (Australia)
- TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Ireland Fixtures:
| Round | Date | Match | Time |
| 1 | Fri, Feb 2 | France vs Ireland | 8 pm |
| 2 | Sun, Feb 11 | Ireland vs Italy | 3 pm |
| 3 | Sat, Feb 24 | Ireland vs Wales | 2.15 pm |
| 4 | Sat, Mar 9 | England vs Ireland | 4.45 pm |
| 5 | Sat, Mar 16 | Ireland vs Scotland | 4.45 pm |
France Fixtures:
| Round | Date | Match | Time |
| 1 | Fri, Feb 2 | France vs Ireland | 8 pm |
| 2 | Sat, Feb 10 | Scotland vs France | 2.15 pm |
| 3 | Sun, Feb 25 | France vs Italy | 3 pm |
| 4 | Sun, Mar 10 | Wales vs France | 3 pm |
| 5 | Sat, Mar 16 | France vs England | 8 pm |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when is the Ireland vs France Six Nations game taking place?
The match between France and Ireland will be held at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille on Friday, February 2nd, with the kick-off scheduled for 8 pm.
Who are the match officials for the Ireland vs France game?
Karl Dickson from England will be the referee for the Six Nations opener between Ireland and France. The touch judges will be Matthew Carley (England) and Jordan Way (Australia), with Ben Whitehouse (Wales) serving as the Television Match Official (TMO).
Which channels will broadcast the Six Nations matches this year?
ITV is set to broadcast 10 out of 15 matches of the Guinness Six Nations, with matches aired on ITV1, ITVX, STV, STV Player, and UTV. The remaining matches will be on BBC.
Sameed Aijax
February 2, 2024
3 months ago
