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France vs Ireland Preview & Tips – France backed for statement Six Nations win over Ireland

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Ben Darvill
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Last updated: 04 Feb 2026
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  • France have won eight of their last nine home games
  • Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored in all five of his Six Nations appearances in 2025
  • Preview, stats & head to head
Antoine Dupont of France (Getty Images)
Antoine Dupont of France (Getty Images)

France vs Ireland Preview & Tips


France are looking to begin the defence of their Six Nations title as they host Ireland at the Stade de France in the early kick-off. 

Injury hit Ireland know they are up against it if they are to defeat arguably the best side in the northern hemisphere right now. 

  • Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored eight tries in five Six Nations matches last year
  • Ireland have lost two of their last three away games against the French 

Head To Head


France have won five of their last 10 against the Irish, with Ireland winning the other five. 

France Form 


France are looking to continue to build towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup by adding another Six Nations title to their trophy cabinet after securing the Championship trophy last time out. 

While they did ultimately finish at the top of the pile in 2025, they were not perfect. Indeed, a stunning 26-25 loss to England at Twickenham was the only blot on their copybook as their hopes of securing the Grand Slam crown were dashed. 

The return of the talismanic Antoine Dupont at nine will be a major boost to France, although they have an embarrassment of riches at scrum-half meaning they were well-stocked in his absence. The big omissions come in the form of Gael Fickou, Damian Penaud and Gregory Alldritt, who have all been overlooked. France are also without prop Uini Atonio, who was forced to retire after suffering a heart attack in January. 

In their clash with Ireland, France will know what they are more than likely to be met with. Ireland will bring a strong defensive line along with discipline at the set-piece. The propensity to try to smash France backwards with their big forwards will likely provide the main threat, with their backs not used as consistently as France will. 

However, France know they can muscle up against Ireland, while their backs are arguably the most explosive in the game. If Dupont can hit the ground running on his return to the international stage then we can expect quick ball from the ruck and intelligent kicking. 

Louis Bielle-Biarrey continues to be a menace in the international game, scoring eight tries in five Six Nations matches in 2025 including two against Ireland. I am backing him to continue his stunning run in the Six Nations as he dots down in a French win. 

Ireland Form 


Ireland arrive for their opening match of the 2026 Six Nations hoping to spring a major surprise against the tournament favourites on their own patch. 

While France arrive with Dupont back in the starting XV and some of the form players in Europe in their match-day squad, Irish rugby has been hit by a lot of pessimism of late. Leinster have not been their near-unbeatable selves in the United Rugby Championship, with the side often playing a huge role in providing Ireland with the majority of their starters.

Against France, Ireland will be subjected to a huge amount of pressure at the set-piece, and if the game becomes loose and breaks up, then Ireland will get punished. France throw the ball around like few teams in the game, with their blend of pace and power nearly-unstoppable when they are on song. 

It is incredibly unlikely that Ireland will look to go toe-to-toe with France in a loose game, meaning I predict that Ireland will look to keep things tight as they try to kick intelligently whilst trying to make inroads with their forwards.

However, the Irish forwards will not likely find many soft shoulders from this French side. With this in mind, I predict a disappointing defeat for Ireland in game one as they give themselves a lot to do if they are to compete for the trophy this year. 

Verdict

I am backing Louis Bielle-Biarrey to score another Six Nations try as France ease to the win.

Best Bet1: Louis Bielle-Biarrey Anytime Try Scorer @-151.52 at Shuffle - 1 Unit
Best Bet2: France 1-12 Winning Margin @187.00 at Shuffle - 1 Unit
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