Ireland vs Wales today, Saturday, February 24, has all the hallmarks of a potential Six Nations 2024 classic. The hosts top the table as they seek a slice of history, while the visitors have lost two narrow games but sniff an upset.
Ireland vs Wales in the Six Nations 2024 is airing for free in the U.K., on ITV1 and the broadcaster's streaming service ITVX, plus RTE2 and RTE Player in Ireland. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch Ireland vs Wales live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
Andy Farrell has again made a raft of changes to Ireland’s starting XV as first-choice names such as Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony and Josh van der Flier all return, but full-back Hugo Keenan is absent. For Wales, Warren Gatland prefers consistency with returning fly-half Sam Costelow the only change. That means young captain Dafydd Jenkins again skippers, with Josh Adams on the wing. For completists, the teams are below…
Ireland: Ciaran Frawley; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris
Wales: Cameron Winnett, Josh Adams, George North, Nick Tompkins, Rio Dyer, Sam Costelow, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee, Keiron Assiratti, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Alex Mann, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright
Television coverage is now underway at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and the atmosphere is building nicely. There’s a slight bite to a crisp sunny day, which bodes well for a free-flowing game of rugby, with kick-off nearly upon us.
► Time: 2.15 pm UK / 9.15 am ET / 6.15 am PT / 1.15 am AEDT (Feb. 25)
US: Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (free with license fee)
IRE: RTE 2 | RTE Player (free)
AUS: Stan Sport
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
Ireland are flying at the minute. Top of the table with two bonus-point wins out of two, Andy Farrell's side are desperate to become just the fifth side in the tournament's 142-year history – and first in the six-team era – to win back-to-back grand slams. Farrell rested a number of starters in the blowout 36-0 victory over minnows Italy two weeks ago but Dan Sheehan wasn't one of them, the stellar ball-carrying hooker is a surprising top try scorer this tournament. Winger James Lowe, who loves a line break, has also shone in both attack and defense with the post-Jonny Sexton era starting swimmingly.
Wales may have lost both opening games, but three bonus points and a points difference of just -3 prove just how narrow those defeats to Scotland and England have been. In the former, Warren Gatland's men roared back from a 27-0 deficit to score 26 unanswered points, then allowed a nine-point half-time lead slip to fall 16-14 to the Red Rose last time out. George North and Nick Tompkins have forged a fine center partnership, while fly-half Sam Costelow has recovered from a neck injury to start at first receiver as the Welsh seek a first victory in Dublin in 12 years. The odds couldn't be more stacked against them, just how they like it.
Make sure you know how to get an Ireland vs Wales live stream today. Luckily, we’ve got all the information on that below, including how to watch the Six Nations 2024 from anywhere.
How to watch Ireland vs Wales in Ireland for free
How to watch Ireland vs Wales in the UK for free
How to watch Ireland vs Wales in the US
NBC Sports is the home of the Six Nations 2024 in the US, including Ireland vs Wales, which will be streamed live on Peacock. The match kicks off at 9.15 am ET / 6.15 am PT. We also anticipate the match to show 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 a host of top series.
Remember, if you're away from the U.S. at the minute, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the Ireland vs Wales live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up.
How to watch Ireland vs Wales in Australia
In Australia, online streaming service Stan Sport, is the exclusive broadcaster of the Six Nations 2024, including Ireland vs Wales. The match kicks off on Sunday, February 25 at 1.15 am AEDT, so make sure the coffee is brewing.
A subscription costs $15 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub, but you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial). 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 Ireland vs Wales live stream.
How to watch Ireland vs Wales 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, 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 even if it is not directly broadcasting where you are. 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!
