France vs Italy today, Sunday, February 25, may be a historically one-sided rivalry but that won't stop this being another fascinating contest in the Six Nations 2024. The Azzurri have never won in Les Bleus' backyard in the Six Nations but will be desperate to cause an upset against one of the pre-tournament favorites.
The Six Nations 2024 match is airing for free in the UK on the ITVX streaming service today. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch France vs Italy live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
Fabien Galthie has made two changes to his pack for this one, with Posolo Tuilagi and Paul Boudehent coming in. That means François Cros moves to number eight. The backs remain unchanged, with Damian Penaud a try away from breaking the all-time French record. Gonzalo Quesada makes six changes for Italy, Martin Page-Relo and Federico Mori come into a rejigged backline that sees Tommaso Menoncello redeployed on the wing. In the pack, Ross Vintcent, Giamarco Nicotera, Giosue Zilocchi and Riccardo Favretto all come into the XV.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu; Cyril Baille, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Posolo Tuilagi, Paul Boudehent, Charles Ollivon, François Cros
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
Television coverage from Lille is now underway and it’s looking likely it could be a wet one, with rain forecast for much of the game that could make handling tricky and level the playing field somewhat. Kick-off is nearly upon us, so get settled in front of a screen for the game.
Time: 3 pm UK / 10 am ET / 7 am PT / 2 am AEDT (Monday, Feb. 26)
US: Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (free with license fee)
IRE: RTÉ2 | RTÉ Player (free)
AUS: Stan Sport
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
Ranked fourth in the world, France would have expected to sit better than fourth in the Six Nations going into their third match of the tournament. But a win and a defeat (with no bonus points) has Les Bleus on the back foot. After an opening game mauling by Ireland, France return to home comforts (this time in Lille while Paris prepares for the Olympics) knowing that not even the 20-16 defeat of Scotland last time out has done enough to quieten frustration. Fabien Galthié will again be without captain Antoine Dupont, but may give a first start to teenage lock Posolo Tuilagi as he seeks to beef up the pack.
Italy have lost their past 14 tests with France, dating back to 2011, with the wounds still raw from the 60-7 Rugby World Cup defeat to their continental neighbours. Yet the Azzurri led 24-22 with 20 minutes to go of last season's Six Nations fixture and will hope to channel a bonus-point defeat to England on the opening weekend against another heavyweight side. Full-back Tommaso Allen is absent to rest his tired limbs, so much will rest on winger Monty Ioane in attack, while captain Michele Lamaro will have to lead by example to win the breakdown and help the Italians win some territory.
Make sure you know how to watch a France vs Italy live stream today. Luckily, we’ve got all the information on that below, including how to watch the Six Nations 2024 from anywhere.
Watch France vs Italy in Ireland for free
Watch France vs Italy in the UK for free
Watch France vs Italy in the US
NBC Sports is the home of the Six Nations 2024 in the US, including France vs Italy, which will be streamed live on Peacock. The match kicks off at 10 am ET / 7 am PT. We also anticipate the match to shown on delay on CNBC.
If you don't have cable you can use a cable replacement service like Sling or Fubo to get CNBC.
Though you get lots of extra channels, those services can be expensive, so signing up to Peacock, NBC's streaming service, could be a cheaper option. Prices starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Six Nations games, plus selected Premier League 2023/24 matches and host of top series.
Remember, if you're away from the U.S. at the moment, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the France vs Italy live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up.
Watch France vs Italy in Australia
In Australia, online streaming service Stan Sportis the exclusive broadcaster of the Six Nations 2024, including France vs Italy. The match kicks off on Monday, February 26 at 2 am AEDT, so make sure the coffee is brewing.
A subscription costs $15 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub). Stan Sport is also the place to watch Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League football, and Formula E.
Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the France vs Italy live stream.
Watch France vs Italy everywhere else
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Six Nations 2024, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.
However, in some places there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the rugby. Thankfully, if you're travelling you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN).
A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the Six Nations Championship as you would in your home country. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch.
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Six Nations 2024 fixtures
The Six Nations games play out over five rounds, with each team playing once per match weekend. You can see all the games below.
Round 3
- February 24: Wales vs Ireland — 9.15 am ET / 2.15pm UK
- February 24: Scotland vs England — 11.45 am ET / 4.45 pm UK
- February 25: France vs Italy — 10 am ET / 3 pm UK
Round 4
- March 9: Scotland vs Italy — 9.15 am ET / 2.15 pm UK
- March 9: England vs Ireland— 11.45 am ET / 4.45 pm UK
- March 10: Wales vs France — 10 am ET / 3 pm UK
Round 5
- March 16: Wales vs Italy — 9.15 am ET / 2.15 pm UK
- March 16: Ireland vs Scotland — 11.45 am ET / 4.45 pm UK
- March 16: France vs England— 3 pm ET / 8 pm UK
