Having agonisingly lost last year's Six Nations title on point difference, France will be looking to start the 2021 tournament all guns blazing against regular wooden spoon recipients Italy in the opener today. Read on as our guide explains how to get an Italy vs France live stream and watch Six Nations rugby online - including for free across the UK and in Ireland.
Date: Saturday, February 6
Kick-off time: 3.15pm CET | 2.15pm GMT / 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT / 1.15am AEDT / 3.15am NZDT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Free UK & Eire live stream: ITV Hub (UK) | Virgin Media One (Ireland)
Global live streams: Peacock (US) | Kayo Sports (Aus)
Watch anywhere: try the No.1 rated VPN - 100% risk-free trial
Having failed to score register a single point in the 2020 Six Nations, Italy's place in the Six Nations has been called into question recently, with rumours abound that the Azzurri could be replaced by more competitive Georgia in the tournament. So the pressure is on coach Franco Smith to deliver a better showing this time out.
Yet he's picked just four players with 30 Test caps or more, and will hoping his new look side can pick up their nations first win in the tournament since 2015.
France won't at full-strength this Saturday, however, with injured Stade Toulousain fly-half Romain Ntamack set to be a big miss for the home side. Coach Fabien Galthié will instead be putting his faith in Matthieu Jalibert alongside Antoine Dupont, while Arthur Vincent comes into the midfield in the absence of Virimi Vakatawa.
Follow our guide as we explain all the ways to get a Six Nations live stream and how to watch Italy vs France for FREE in the UK and Ireland.
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How to watch Italy vs France: FREE Six Nations live stream in the UK
The great news for rugby fans in the UK is that Italy vs France is being shown exclusively live on ITV. The game is also being live streamed on ITV Hub at the same time.
As it's ITV, anyone located in the UK can tune in for FREE - you be in possession of a valid UK TV license, of course.
For added on-the-go viewing convenience, ITV Hub has an excellent app that's available on nearly anything that plugs in these days - just give it a search on your device, phone or console of choice.
Italy vs France kicks off at 2.15pm GMT, with ITV's coverage beginning at 1.30pm.
Not in the UK for the 2021 Six Nations? No worries - just download and install a VPN to port yourself back home, then watch live as usual.
How to live stream Italy vs France when you're not in your country
If you're outside your country of residence and try to stream the rugby via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't, as it's location restricted. But there is a way to tune in regardless.
By downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home. That way you can enjoy your home coverage without having to find an illegal stream - assuming you comply with the broadcaster's fine print, of course - specifically its terms and conditions.
Use a VPN to watch Italy vs France from anywhere
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How to watch Italy vs France FREE: live stream Six Nations in Ireland
Unlike in the UK, Virgin Media offers free-to-air channels in the Republic of Ireland, and Virgin Media One (formerly Ireland's TV3) is the channel you'll want to head to for Italy vs France.
This means you can also get a 100% free Six Nations live stream in Ireland. Watch online using Virgin Media Player - or check out its TV Anywhere app, which is available for nearly all modern devices including smartphones, tablets, computers and more.
Kick-off is set for 2.15pm GMT, and Virgin Media One's coverage starts at 1.30pm.
Not in Ireland for the Six Nations? Enjoy the same craic-ing coverage you would at home with the help of a good VPN as per our guide above.
How to watch Italy vs France FREE online: live stream Six Nations rugby in the US today
NBC Sports once again has the rights to show Six Nations rugby in the US, which used to mean coughing up the best part of $80 for an NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass.
No more. NBC's Rugby Pass has been absorbed into its excellent new streaming platform, Peacock, which offers a FREE 7-day trial you can take advantage of, so you can watch Wales vs Ireland without paying a cent.
The game kicks off at 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT on Saturday morning.
After the free trial, Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service that also features Premiership Rugby and the Heineken Champions Cup, plus loads more premium sports coverage, TV shows, and movies. Alternatively, you can pay a $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.
If you've already hopped on the Peacock bandwagon but are abroad during the 2021 Six Nations, don't forget that you can still tune in like you at home with the help of a good VPN.
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How to watch Italy vs France: live stream Six Nations in Australia
If you don't mind a late night/early morning, subscription service beIN Sports is showing Italy vs France in Australia.
The game kicks off at 1.15am AEDT on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
If you're a Foxtel customer, you can add beIN to your package for an extra fee. No worries if you aren't though as you can also subscribe to beIN as a standalone subscription - or try Foxtel's streaming-only platform, Kayo Sports, which is also showing Wales vs Ireland.
The great value over-the-top service will let you stream loads of quality sport - including Australia's own NRL and AFL footy competitions. All this for the very reasonable price of just $25 per month for a basic package, or $35 a month for the premium offering that works across three screens.
Better still, it offers a FREE 14-day trial, so you can check it out for yourself, no strings attached.
Not in Australia for the rugby? Don't forget to take advantage of the VPN option as detailed above to make sure you can watch your domestic coverage anyway.
How to watch Italy vs France: live stream Six Nations in New Zealand
The official broadcaster for the Six Nations in New Zealand is Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.
Subscribers can watch online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.
It's an early start for the Italy vs France game, which kicks off at 4.15am NZDT on Sunday morning.
Away from New Zealand right now? Use a VPN and you'll be streaming the rugger in no time at all.
Italy vs France live stream: watch 2021 Six Nations rugby FREE in Canada
DAZN is a streaming service now available pretty much worldwide, and it's Canadian arm has secured streaming rights for this year's Six Nations rugby.
The Wales vs Ireland game kicks off at 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT on Saturday morning, and you can tune in for FREE, as DAZN offers a 30 day FREE TRIAL.
If you decide to keep DAZN, you'll pay $20 per month or an annual subscription of $150, which gets you loads more sporting action, including every NFL game and Premier League and Champions League soccer, and much more.
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