Ireland have it all to do after a frustrating defeat at the hands of Wales last weekend - and things don't get any easier today as they face the team that currently looks best-placed to win this Six Nations championship. It's already a pivotal match for Andy Farrell's men, so read on as our guide explains how to get an Ireland vs France live stream and watch Six Nations 2021 rugby online - including for free across the UK and in Ireland.
Date: Sunday, February 14
Kick-off time: 3pm GMT / 4pm CET / 10am ET / 7am PT / 2am AEDT / 4am NZDT
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Free UK & Eire live stream: ITV Hub (UK) | Virgin Media One (Ireland)
Global live streams: Peacock (US) | Kayo Sports (Aus) | DAZN (Canada)
Watch anywhere: try the No.1 rated VPN - 100% risk-free trial
The opening weekend really couldn't have gone better for Fabien Galthié's men, whose brilliant young French team romped to a 50-10 victory over Italy, and saw both of their two biggest rivals - on paper, at least - slip up.
Seemingly sitting pretty after Scotland's shock win over England, Ireland had nobody to blame but themselves for falling to Wales in a game they likely would have won - if it hadn't have been for Peter O’Mahony's 14th-minute red card. The dismissal and subsequent three-game ban issued to the Munster captain was fully justified, though, as his challenge was the very definition of reckless.
Despite being up against it for over an hour, the rest of the Irish team acquitted themselves really well, most notably Tadhg Beirne and Robbie Henshaw. In fact, they almost managed to eek out an unlikely victory, but the Welsh defense held strong...and replacement fly-half Billy Burns missed an inexplicable kick to put to bed any hopes a last-gasp Ireland victory.
All is certainly not lost for Ireland, but they've got a mammoth task on their hands. Follow our guide as we explain all the ways to get a Six Nations live stream - and how to watch Ireland vs France for FREE in a number of countries!
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How to watch Ireland vs France: FREE Six Nations live stream in the UK
The great news for rugby fans in the UK is that Ireland vs France is being shown exclusively live on ITV. The game is also being live streamed on ITV Hub at the same time.
As it's ITV, anyone located in the UK can tune in for FREE - you be in possession of a valid UK TV license, of course.
For added on-the-go viewing convenience, ITV Hub has an excellent app that's available on nearly anything that plugs in these days - just give it a search on your device, phone or console of choice.
Ireland vs France kicks off at 3pm GMT, with ITV's coverage beginning at 2.15pm.
Not in the UK for the 2021 Six Nations? No worries - just download and install a VPN to port yourself back home, then watch live as usual.
How to watch Ireland vs France FREE: live stream Six Nations in Ireland
Unlike in the UK, Virgin Media offers free-to-air channels in the Republic of Ireland, and Virgin Media One (formerly Ireland's TV3) is the channel you'll want to head to for the Ireland vs France game.
This means you can also get a 100% free Six Nations live stream in Ireland. Watch online using Virgin Media Player - or check out its TV Anywhere app, which is available for nearly all modern devices including smartphones, tablets, computers and more.
Kick-off is set for 3pm GMT, and Virgin Media One's coverage starts at 2pm.
Not in Ireland for the Six Nations? Enjoy the same craic-ing coverage you would at home with the help of a good VPN as per our guide above.
How to live stream Ireland vs France when you're not in your country
If you're outside your country of residence - whether that's Ireland, the UK, or anywhere else - and try to stream the rugby via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't, as it's location restricted. But there is a way to tune in regardless.
By downloading and installing a VPN, you can send your device on a digital holiday back home. That way you can enjoy your normal sports coverage, just like you would from the comfort of your couch - even if you're abroad.
Use a VPN to watch Ireland vs France from anywhere
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How to watch Ireland vs France FREE online: live stream Six Nations rugby in the US today
NBC Sports once again has the rights to show Six Nations rugby in the US, which used to mean coughing up the best part of $80 for an NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass.
No more. NBC's Rugby Pass has been absorbed into its excellent new streaming platform, Peacock, which offers a FREE 7-day trial you can take advantage of, so you can watch Ireland vs France without paying a cent.
The game kicks off at 10am ET/7am PT on Sunday morning.
After the free trial, Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service that also features Premiership Rugby and the Heineken Champions Cup, plus loads more premium sports coverage, TV shows, and movies. Alternatively, you can pay a $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.
If you've already hopped on the Peacock bandwagon but are abroad during the 2021 Six Nations, don't forget that you can still tune in like you at home with the help of a good VPN.
- Related: how to watch Peacock from outside the US with a VPN
How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations in Australia
If you don't mind a late night/early morning, subscription service beIN Sports is showing Ireland vs France in Australia.
The game kicks off at 2am AEDT on Sunday night/Monday morning, and beIN Sports' coverage gets underway at 1.50am.
If you're a Foxtel customer, you can add beIN to your package for an extra fee. No worries if you aren't though as you can also subscribe to beIN as a standalone subscription - or try Foxtel's streaming-only platform, Kayo Sports, which is also showing Ireland vs France.
The great value over-the-top service will let you stream loads of quality sport - including Australia's own NRL and AFL footy competitions. All this for the very reasonable price of just $25 per month for a basic package, or $35 a month for the premium offering that works across three screens.
Better still, it offers a FREE 14-day trial, so you can check it out for yourself, no strings attached.
Not in Australia for the rugby? Don't forget to take advantage of the VPN option as detailed above to make sure you can watch your domestic coverage anyway.
How to watch Ireland vs France: live stream Six Nations in New Zealand
The official broadcaster for the Six Nations in New Zealand is Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.
Subscribers can watch 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 weekly pass costs just $19.99.
It's an early start for the Ireland vs France game, which kicks off at 4am NZDT on Monday morning. Sky Sport's coverage gets underway at 3.50am.
Away from New Zealand right now? Use a VPN and you'll be streaming the rugger in no time at all.
Ireland vs France live stream: watch 2021 Six Nations rugby FREE in Canada
DAZN is a streaming service available in a select few countries including Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and it has secured streaming rights for the Six Nations rugby.
The Ireland vs France game kicks off at 10am ET/7am PT on Sunday morning, and you can tune in for FREE, as DAZN offers a 30 day FREE TRIAL.
If you decide to keep DAZN, you'll pay $20 per month or an annual subscription of $150, which gets you loads more sporting action, including every NFL game and Premier League and Champions League soccer, and much more.
- Related: how to watch a Champions League live stream
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