France vs Ireland Predictions, Six Nations Betting Tips & Bet Builder
France and Ireland have been the Six Nations’ title protagonists for the last four years and Thursday’s tournament-opener in Paris would have been billed as a title-decider 12 months ago.
But if a week is a long time in sport, then a year is a lifetime, with both these teams entering the 2026 edition of the Six Nations with something to prove, certainly in Ireland’s case.
A golden era of Irish rugby appears to be coming to a close and Andy Farrell’s side are beset with injury issues, leading to betting sites making them 14-point underdogs for the clash at the Stade de France.
They were well beaten by the French at home last year as they finished third in the Six Nations standings, with Les Bleus going on to claim a record-equaling seventh 6N crown.
Fabien Galthie’s men are odds-on to retain the championship, but perhaps with one eye on next year’s World Cup, he’s chosen to leave out some French regulars in favour of giving a few youngsters the chance to shine.
Can a new-look France side light up the opening night of the tournament, or will Ireland show they aren’t to be underestimated?
France vs Ireland Tips
Here’s a look at our rugby tips, along with the odds and best free bets for Thursday’s game.
Tip 1: Ireland +15
It seems a bit early to suggest Ireland can’t challenge for this year’s Six Nations, after all, they were the last side to beat England, a team being tipped for Grand Slam glory in several quarters.
The autumn was tough for Farrell and co as they were scrumed off the park by South Africa and succumbed to defeat to New Zealand with 14 men, but they had moments in both those games.
The injuries leave Ireland worringly short in some areas, particularly at loosehead, but perhaps we should be looking at what Farrell does have at his disposal, rather than what he doesn’t.
Thursday's matchday squad features nine British & Irish Lions, while the starting line-up looks strong in the second row, back row and midfield.
There’s certainly enough there to test a France team that didn’t have a great autumn either and is dealing with its own issues in the front row.
The French are likely to do enough to ultimately win the game, but this fixture has a history of being closely fought with seven points having been the average winning margin across the last 10 meetings.
Ireland hasn’t suffered a double-digit Six Nations defeat on French soil since 2010, and on a wet night in Paris, should hold their own.
Tip 2: Dan Sheehan anytime tryscorer
We’ve got the top two in the Six Nations top tryscorer betting facing off on Thursday in French wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan.
But while Bielle-Biarrey is odds-on to go over anytime in this game, Sheehan is a far more appealing 11/5 in the rugby betting markets.
Sheehan has scored on each of his last two appearances against France and finished last year’s Six Nations with five tries to his name.
Since then, he scored in two out of three Tests for the Lions against Australia in the summer and went over against South Africa in the autumn.
He linked up with Ireland for the Six Nations off the back of having scored in four of his last five games for Leinster and looks a big threat for the visitors.
Tip 3: France to score most tries, Matthieu Jalibert anytime tryscorer & a yellow card in the game
France set a new Six Nations record when scoring 30 tries in last year’s tournament and with inspirational scrum-half Antoine Dupont back in the line-up, expect their attack to be on point once more.
French sides have been racking up the tries in the Champions Cup, while Ireland have been inconsistent when the tryline has come into sight recently.
Matthieu Jalibert is looking to nail down his spot as France’s first-choice fly-half this Six Nations after an underwhelming showing in 2025 and will need to get off to a fast start with his main rival for the No.10 shirt, Romain Ntamack, potentially back from injury soon.
Jalibert couldn’t be in much better form and has developed a nose for the tryline recently, going over seven times in his last seven appearances for Bordeaux.
Karl Dickson will take charge of this game, fresh from having shown four yellow cards in another Franco-Irish clash between Munster and Toulon in January.
A French player has been shown a yellow card in four of the last five home internationals for Les Bleus, while there’s been a sin-binning in five of the last six games between these nations.
Where to Watch France vs Ireland
The France vs Ireland Six Nations match on Thursday 5 February 2026 will be available to watch live on free-to-air television on ITV.
TV Channel
The match between France and Ireland will be broadcast in the UK on ITV1, so viewers won’t need a pay-TV subscription to watch the game live on television
Live Stream Information
UK viewers will be able to live stream the France vs Ireland Six Nations match via ITVX, ITV’s streaming platform, allowing fans to watch the full game online on compatible devices.
Start time
The France vs Ireland Six Nations match will kick off at 8:10 pm
Fixture date
This France vs Ireland fixture is scheduled for Thursday, 5 February 2026
Stadium
The match will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
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