The last Six Nations game of the weekend kicks off at 3:00pm GMT. Here's how to watch an Ireland v Italy live stream for free.
Ireland were dominant in victory against the French in Marseille, so the Azzurri will have to be at their very best to take anything away from the Aviva Stadium when the match kicks off at 3:00pm GMT.
If you’re wondering where to watch an Ireland v Italy live stream for free this afternoon, this article is here to to help. The match is available to stream FOR FREE in Ireland on Virgin Media Player, and the UK on ITVX. If you’re away from your home country this afternoon, why not use a VPN to watch your usual TV service from abroad?
On what’s looking likely to be a cloudy but dry afternoon in Dublin, this seems set to be one of the more one-sided games of the tournament, especially compared to yesterday’s extremely tight matches. “The Irish could well wrap up the try bonus in the first half and ease off a little – but I doubt it,” says Rugby World editor Alan Dymock in our Ireland v Italy predictions article. “Italy started strong against England, but the Irish defensive shape is both established and fierce, and their kicking game is accurate. In short, they’ll get to work pretty sharpish.”
Scroll down to find all the information you need to watch an Ireland v Italy live stream for free in Ireland, the UK and abroad, as well as team news for the game. For information on viewing the rest of the tournament, check out our comprehensive guide to watching the Six Nations Championship anywhere in the world.
Watch for free in Ireland and the UK
Irish fans can watch an Ireland v Italy live stream on Virgin Media Player. The game will also be broadcast live on Virgin Media One, with coverage starting at 2:00pm. The match kicks off at 3:00pm Irish time.
Over in the UK, you can tune in to the match on ITV1, or watch an Ireland v Italy live stream on ITVX. ITV’s coverage starts at 2:15pm GMT.
Watch the match from abroad
On holiday? Travelling for work? Fear not, it doesn’t mean you have to miss Ireland’s first home game of 2024. Irish and UK rugby fans abroad can still watch an Ireland v Italy live stream via Virgin Media Player or ITVX, respectively, by taking advantage of a clever piece of software known as a VPN.
A VPN – or Virtual Private Network – allows you to change your device’s IP address, meaning you can view live or on-demand TV content as if you were sitting at home in front your own television or laptop – even when you’re overseas.
The technology experts from TechRadar know what they’re talking about when it comes to VPNs, and they recommend ExpressVPN for its strong privacy features, ease of use, and the fact it allows you to watch your favourite TV on multiple devices simultaneously. It also comes with three months extra free when you sign up for a year, and a 30-day money-back guarantee for extra peace of mind.
Ireland v Italy team news
Both sides have made changes from last weekend, most notably Ireland who have shifted things around to give Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Bundee Aki and captain Peter O’Mahony a week off. Caelan Doris takes over as captain.
Italy have made four changes to their starting XV (compared to Ireland’s six), and will be happy to welcome Ange Capuozzo back into the side at full-back.
IRELAND
Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Caelan Doris (captain), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Tom O’Toole, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Harry Byrne, Jordan Larmour.
ITALY
Ange Capuozzo; Lorenzo Pani, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Manuel Zulani, Michele Lamaro (captain).
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosue Zilocchi, Andrea Zambonin, Ross Vintcent, Martin Page-Relo, Tommaso Allan, Federico Mori.
England’s Luke Pearce is the referee, and he’ll be joined by an all-French support team of assistant referees Mathieu Raynal and Luc Ramos, and TMO Eric Gauzins.
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