Ireland vs France live stream: how to watch the Six Nations game online from anywhere

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It's only Round 2, but this may well be the Six Nations decider

Tadhg Furlong of Ireland in action against Cyril Baille, left, and Julien Marchand of France during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship
(Image credit: eb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland vs France live stream

You can watch Ireland vs France for free on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, and on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player in Ireland. Fans can pay to watch today's rugby on Peacock in the US, and on Stan Sport in Australia. Full information on the TV viewing options below. We'll also explain how to watch a FREE Ireland vs France live stream from anywhere in the world.

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Kick-off: Saturday, February 11, 2.15pm GMT / 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT
TV channel: ITV1 (UK) | RTÉ 2 (IRE) | CNBC / Peacock (US) | Stan Sport (AUS)
Free live stream: ITVX (UK) | RTÉ Player (IRE)
Use ExpressVPN to watch any stream

Ireland vs France match preview

If there's one Six Nations match you need to watch this weekend, it's Ireland vs France. A clash between the No.1 team in the world rankings and the No.2-ranked reigning champions, a fixture with 114 years of history behind it. Oh, and the last two World Rugby Men’s Players of the Year, Josh van der Flier and Antoine Dupont, are playing. It's little wonder rugby union fans of all persuasions are arguing that it's a bigger deal than Super Bowl 2023. It's a cloudy afternoon in Dublin but the rain appears to be holding off. 

Andy Farrell hasn't been able to get the better of Fabien Galthié's France in three previous meetings, but for two of those he'd been robbed of the leadership of Johnny Sexton. Ireland's skipper starts this one despite being forced off with a dead leg during last weekend's 34-10 demolition of Wales. Dan Sheehan, however, has joined Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park and Cian Healy on the sidelines, with Rob Herring stepping in at hooker. Scrum-half Conor Murray is still set to start, despite his father being involved in a serious road collision in the week. 

France's victory over Italy was a record-setting 14th in a row, though 29-24 was much, much closer than even the most optimistic Italian fans would have anticipated. Discipline was an issue for Les Bleus throughout, but Galthié has stuck with the same XV today, which means there's still no sign of the injured trio Cameron Woki, Jonathan Danty and Gabin Villière.

Ireland have won 12 games in a row at the Aviva Stadium. The last team to beat them in Dublin? That, of course, would be France, almost exactly two years ago. Follow our guide as we explain all the ways to get an Ireland vs France live stream wherever you are – starting with how to watch the Six Nations for FREE in the UK and Ireland.

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How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations for FREE in the UK

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Ireland vs France is being shown for free in the UK on ITV1, with kick-off set for 2.15pm GMT on Saturday afternoon.

That means the game is also being live streamed FREE on ITVX. For added on-the-go viewing convenience, ITVX has an excellent app that's available on nearly everything that plugs in these days - just give it a search on your device, phone or console of choice.

If you're outside the UK but want your usual coverage, you can check out this free 30-day ExpressVPN trial and follow the instructions below.

How to watch Ireland vs France from outside your country

If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your usual coverage of the Six Nations, you'll want a VPN. This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching an Ireland vs France live stream in particular parts of the world.

They're a useful means of getting around this issue, are cheap, and easy to set-up as well. Here's how it's done.

Use a VPN to watch Ireland vs France from anywhere

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN
We've put all of the major VPN services to the test and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best of the bunch. It's compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use. 

Another great perk is the fact that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months FREE, so you can see if it's right for you with no strings attached.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.

How to use a VPN for Ireland vs France

Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'UK' for ITVX.

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - ITVX for UK citizens abroad.

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How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations FREE in Ireland

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Ireland vs France is being shown for FREE on RTÉ 2 in Ireland, with kick-off set for 2.15pm GMT on Saturday afternoon.

You can also live stream Ireland vs France on RTÉ Player, which is available via your browser or via dedicated iOS and Android apps.

Outside of Ireland? Watch Six Nations rugby online just like you would at home with the help of a quality VPN.

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How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations rugby in the US without cable

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The Ireland vs France Six Nations rugby game is being shown on both CNBC and Peacock TV in the US, with kick-off set for 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT bright and early on Saturday morning.

Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported version of the service that also offers live coverage of EPL soccer, every big WWE event, Premiership Rugby, plus plenty more live sports. You also have the option of paying $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.

OTT streaming service FuboTV carries CNBC and more than 100 additional channels including Fox, CBS and ESPN. Prices start at $74.99 a month after a FREE FuboTV trial.

If you subscribe to Peacock, FuboTV or any other US streaming service and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN as outlined below - of the many options, we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best.

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How to watch an Ireland vs France Six Nations live stream in Australia

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In Australia you can watch Ireland vs France on Stan Sport, but be warned that kick-off is set for 1.15am AEDT on Saturday night/Sunday morning. 

If you don't mind the late night, a subscription costs $10 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), but you can take advantage of a 7-day FREE trial.

Stan Sport is also the place to watch Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League football, and Formula E.

If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch an Ireland vs France live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN as per the instructions above. 

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How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations in New Zealand

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Sky Sport is showing the Ireland vs France game in New Zealand. Unfortunately, kick-off is set for the rather inconvenient time of 3.15am NZDT in the small hours of Sunday morning.

If that doesn't put you off, know that subscribers can watch Ireland vs France online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a pass costs $19.99 per week or $39.99 per month. 

The monthly package comes with a 7-day free trial.

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How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations rugby in Canada 

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Ireland vs France kicks off at 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT on Saturday morning, and is being shown on streaming service DAZN in Canada.

And it's a real bargain too - DAZN costs CA$24.99 a month or $199.99 a year. Away from home this weekend? No problem.

Use a VPN to watch Ireland vs France on DAZN while abroad.

Not only do you get every Six Nations 2023 match, but DAZN is also the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Champions League, Europa League and EFL Championship soccer!

It also comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices). 

Aatif Sulleyman
Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.