France and reigning Six Nations champions Ireland kick off their tournaments in Marseille on Friday.

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Title holders Ireland defeated France 32-19 in Dublin last February en route to becoming Grand Slam champions.

Both sides unexpectedly crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage to eventual finalists New Zealand and South Africa, though, and each have lost their most influential player.

Ireland’s generational fly-half Johnny Sexton said goodbye to rugby union after the World Cup, leaving the reins to Munster’s Jack Crowley.

Meanwhile, France’s star scrum-half Antoine Dupont has elected to miss this year’s tournament in favour of playing for the nation’s sevens side as practice for the Paris Olympics this summer.

France and Ireland have put themselves ahead of the rest of the Six Nations pack in the last few years, with Ireland clinching last year’s title and France winning in 2022.

Their duopoly is unlikely to end this time out despite the losses of Sexton and Dupont, with each side being packed with power and talent throughout the entire squad.

RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch France v Ireland on TV and online.

Read more: Six Nations on TV | Six Nations fixtures | Six Nations this weekend | Six Nations on radio | Six Nations presenters | Six Nations bonus points | Who has won most Six Nations titles?

When is France v Ireland?

France v Ireland will take place on Friday 2nd February 2024.

The game takes place at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

What time is France v Ireland kick-off?

France v Ireland will kick off at 8pm.

Check out the Six Nations TV schedule with our comprehensive guide.

What TV channel is France v Ireland on?

France v Ireland will be shown live on ITV1 from 7:15pm.

Rugby experts and former players will provide plenty of build-up to the big game in the run-up to kick-off.

Every match of the tournament will be shown live across BBC and ITV platforms.

How to live stream France v Ireland online

France v Ireland will be live streamed on ITVX for free.

Fans can tune in to watch all the action live and on the move via a range of device, including smartphones and tablets via the ITVX app.

France v Ireland key player to watch

Damian Penaud (France)

The 27-year-old winger Penaud was the tournament’s top try scorer last year with five. He has already scored nine tries in 11 games for Bordeaux this season, and with plenty of Bordeaux influence in France’s backline, it won’t be a surprise to see him score some crucial tries against Ireland.

France v Ireland prediction

As cliché as it sounds, this match could go either way. They’re the two best teams in the tournament for a reason, and logic dictates one of these two – likely the winner of this match – will go on to win the championship.

With that said, France will be slight favourites playing in Marseille. Dupont’s replacement Maxime Lucu has strong chemistry with Bordeaux club mate fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, which will be key to France taking the win in an intense tie.

Prediction: France WIN

If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

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