Is France vs Ireland on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Six Nations clash
Why the Six Nations is starting a day early
- France will host Ireland in the opening match of the 2026 Six Nations, marking the competition's first-ever Thursday fixture.
- The highly anticipated clash, featuring two teams that have shared the last four titles, kicks off at 8.10pm GMT on Thursday, 5 February at the Stade de France in Paris.
- The Six Nations has started on a Friday every year since 2009, but this year’s opening game was brought forward 24 hours to avoid a clash for television viewers watching the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
- Antoine Dupont returns for France, starting at scrum-half alongside Matthieu Jalibert, while Ireland's injury-hit squad sees the Prendergast brothers, Sam and Cian, starting together for the first time.
- Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the build-up live on ITV1 from 7.20pm GMT, with a live stream available via ITVX.
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