Revenge will be on the agenda for Ireland when they make the short hop to Paris to take on France, in what promises to be a captivating opening salvo in the 2026 Guinness Six Nations.
The tournament opener will be contested at 8:10pm Irish time under the lights at the Stade de France on Thursday 5th February, with more than 80,000 devotees expected to be in attendance.
When the teams last met a little over a year ago, France scuppered Ireland’s hopes of landing a third consecutive title, shocking Andy Farrell’s side with a 43-27 triumph in Dublin.
Thursday’s tussle, then, is an early opportunity for Ireland to put a marker down and a chance for some of Ireland’s best to exorcise some demons.
To whet your appetite for the action, we’ve previewed the opening act of the 2026 Six Nations, complete with predictions for the game’s outcome using the latest odds from Tonybet’s extensive rugby markets.
France preview
Defending champions France enter the 2026 edition of the tournament as favourites to successfully recapture their crown, with current prices hovering around the 1.72 mark in Tonybet’s outright Six Nations markets.
Twelve months ago, France were a cut above the competition, winning four of their five Six Nations fixtures while plundering an average of 43.6 points per game.
Les Bleus set the tone when they defeated Wales to nil (43-0) in Round 1 in 2025, and although they were edged out by England after that (25-26), they rebounded in emphatic style against Italy (73-24).
Their famous Round 4 victory over Ireland in Dublin made their final fixture against Scotland a formality, with France delivering a comfortable 35-16 climactic win to seal their triumph.
After their Six Nations success last year, France’s form was solid, but not entirely flawless. They endured a taxing summer tour in New Zealand, where they lost all three encounters with their hosts, while their autumn series results were mixed at best.
France were beaten by South Africa (32-17), but recovered to win against Fiji (34-21) and then Australia (48-33) in better style to restore some of their lost confidence.
Yet France are undergoing something of a generational refresh this time around under head coach Fabien Galthié, with the aim of being better prepared for a run at glory in the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
This means that 12 uncapped players have been thrust into their squad, while some established names such as winger Damian Penaud, number 8 Grégory Alldritt, and centre Gaël Fickou have been left out in a notable shift towards the next generation.
A major plus, however, is the return to action of scrum-half Antoine Dupont, who missed last year’s title surge through injury. The class operator’s inclusion is a welcome one and is seen as a significant boost.
Further up the field, props such as Cyril Baille and hooker Julien Marchand will be tasked with providing a robust platform, while locks Cameron Woki and Mickael Guillard combine physicality with aerial prowess.
With home advantage to harness at the Stade de France in Thursday’s opener, France should be a formidable prospect. Expect a high pace, plenty of offloading, and a dusting of their usual Gallic flair under Galthié
Ireland must also find a way to get behind the dogged French defence that conceded just 11 tries in last year’s Six Nations.
France’s potential starting XV against Ireland could include Thomas Ramos at full-back, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and one other on the flanks, and Jonathan Danty and Nicolas Depoortère in the middle.
Matthieu Jalibert is likely to be deployed at fly-half, with Dupont (captain) at scrum-half and a front row of Baille, Marchand and Uini Atonio.
Cameron Woki and Guillard could be the locks, with a back row of François Cros, Charles Ollivon, and maybe even Toulouse’s Alexandre Roumat stepping up.
Ireland team preview
Ireland have points to prove and questions to answer on the eve of the 2026 Six Nations, having failed to live up to expectations a year ago.
Champions in 2023 and 2024, Ireland managed to deliver four wins in last year’s edition of the tournament, but were outgunned by more prolific England and France teams in the final shake-up, eventually finishing third, with a Triple Crown consolation prize.
Head coach Andy Farrell, who is back in situ following his sojourn with the British & Irish Lions, will be targeting improvement in 2026. Ireland, after all, were only beaten by England and eventual winners France last year, and despite being listed as third-favourites, momentum could build quickly if they find a way to upset the odds in Paris.
After last year’s Six Nations disappointment, Ireland beat Georgia (34-5) and Portugal (106-7) in the summer before a patchy set of results in a set of four autumn internationals.
Wins over Japan (41-10) and Australia (46-19) were sandwiched in between defeats to New Zealand (13-26) and South Africa (24-13), giving Farrell plenty to ponder.
Ireland’s preparations for the 2026 Six Nations have been hampered by injuries – loosehead Andrew Porter, wing Mack Hansen, lock Ryan Baird, centre Robbie Henshaw and back-row Paddy McCarthy are all sidelined and miss out.
The retirements of the experienced Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray have also added to the churn, while centre Bundee Aki has been left out due to disciplinary issues.
It’s not all bad news, however, with Hugo Keenan, Ciaran Frawley, Jamie Osborne, and influential props Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham all fit enough for inclusion. There are also uncapped starlets such as Ulster’s Nathan Doak and Munster’s Edwin Edogbo to look out for.
In terms of approach, Ireland will look to lean on their structured attacks, relentless breakdown work and tactical kicking game in Paris, driven on by that heavy Leinster and Munster influence.
Ireland’s potential starting XV in the French capital could include Keenan at full-back, Jacob Stockdale and James Lowe on the wings, and Garry Ringrose and Osborne as centres.
Expect to see Sam Prendergast at fly-half, Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half, and a front row of Furlong, Dan Sheehan and maybe Jeremy Loughman in Porter’s absence.
The locks might be James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne, and a back row of Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain) and Jack Conan could be used.
H2H record
The rivalry between France and Ireland in the Six Nations is deeply entrenched, and sparks tend to fly when the countries collide.
In the modern Six Nations era since 2000, France and Ireland’s head-to-head record could hardly be tighter. In 26 meetings, France have the slightly better record with 13 wins to Ireland’s 11, the latest of which was that crucial 4-27 victory in Dublin last year.
Recent skirmishes have generally been defined by inches – the average winning margin has been under seven points in the last 10 encounters, with games often decided in the dramatic final moments.
Irish fans have plenty of memorable moments to recount, including Johnny Sexton’s iconic last-gasp drop goal in Paris in 2018 to secure a 15-13 for visiting Ireland. That kick ended a 16-year drought for Ireland in the French capital.
France have had the upper hand over the last few years, however, winning four of the nations’ last six meetings. Still, Ireland’s 38-17 win in their last Six Nations match on French soil in Marseille in 2024 provides a considerable beacon of hope.
Players to watch
Antoine Dupont’s return to the fold for France has created a real buzz in the lead-up to Thursday’s Six Nations opener, and for good reason.
The veteran scrum-half is widely considered to be the world’s best in his position, and his tempo-setting style and razor-sharp vision could give him the keys to unlock the Irish defence.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who was the top try scorer (8) at the 2025 Six Nations, will also have to be tracked closely by his Irish markers.
Toulouse supremo Thomas Ramos is a potential match winner. The 30-year-old wields unerring accuracy when kicking and has been the top points scorer in each of the last three editions of the Six Nations (2023, 2024 and 2025).
For Ireland, skipper Caelan Doris’s leadership will be key. He is already one of the most-capped players (55) on the Irish panel, despite still being only 27. His breakdown efforts should help to disrupt the French flow.
In an Irish squad that perhaps lacks overall experience, the return from injury of powerhouse Tadhg Furlong could make a big difference. With 82 caps, the 33-year-old is the closest thing Ireland have to a centurion, and Furlong can guide some of his younger teammates through Thursday’s tough task.
In a pivotal role, fly-half Sam Prendergast’s game management and goal-kicking could also be crucial in Paris. The 22-year-old Kildare native was Ireland’s top scorer last year and the tournament’s third-leading scorer overall with 44 points.
Our expert predictions
Tonybet’s latest markets for France vs Ireland make for interesting reading, with the hosts as narrow as 1.16 to win and the visitors listed as long as 5.20 on the other side.
However, the changing of the guard in this French squad, and the inclusion of 12 uncapped players, could tip the balance in Ireland’s favour, allowing Farrell’s troops to push Les Blues all the way in Paris.
France did enjoy a 15-point winning margin over Ireland in last year’s famous victory in Dublin. However, the gap between the teams might not be so significant on Thursday, which opens up some interesting avenues of approach in the handicap markets.
Ireland can be backed with a +12.5-point head start with Tonybet at 1.85, which is a price generous enough to consider in the circumstances.
Both teams also have serious points-scoring potential, so if you’re looking towards the totals markets, you can aim high. Ireland and France notched 69 points between them in last year’s Dublin thriller, and over 52.5 points on Thursday is on offer at a shade better than evens with Tonybet at 2.06.
Visit Tonybet now to find extensive coverage of Thursday’s opener in Paris between France and Ireland, complete with markets for every other Six Nations fixture and outrights.
