Ireland vs Italy Preview & Tips - Ireland to grind past stubborn Italy in first Six Nations win

Ben Darvill

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Last updated: 11 Feb 2026

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Ben Darvill 11 Feb 2026

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Ireland have won their last 16 matches against Italy
The last meeting between the sides saw Ireland win by five points
Preview, stats & head to head

Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland (Getty Images)

Ireland vs Italy Preview & Tips
Head To Head
Ireland Form
Italy Form

Ireland vs Italy Preview & Tips

Ireland were nowhere near good enough in their Six Nations opener against France as they were swatted aside in a 36-14 defeat.

By contrast, Italy were exceptional in their clash with Scotland last weekend as they notched an 18-15 win over their opponents.

Ireland have won six of their last eight at home in all competitions
The winning margin in their meeting last year stood at five points in favour of Ireland

Head To Head

Ireland have won their last 10 matches against Italy in a dominant run for the former.

Ireland Form

As many had expected, Ireland struggled to get close to France in their opening match of the 2026 Six Nations as they slipped to a 36-14 loss that immediately put an end to any hopes of a Grand Slam.

Across the match, Ireland were poor. Trailing 22-0 at half-time, there was a worry that France would really put the boot in and humiliate the travelling side. A string of Irish changes on the 50th minute saw some hope return for the travelling side as they scored a brace of unanswered converted tries to edge back into the game at 29-14.

However, they could not maintain the momentum as France wrestled field position back before adding insult to injury by scoring in the 81st minute to complete a 36-14 win. Losing by 22-points actually flattered Ireland who, bar a stint in the second-half, were decidedly second best.

A lack of punch up-front saw them consistently fail to get over the gain line, while their backs looked out of ideas from the beginning. Kicking needlessly gave France a lot of the ball and saw their dangerous backline attacking broken field.

The game plan to pin France back with clever kicking was clear, but the execution was lacking. Ultimately, Ireland were out-thought and out-played by a better side.

This week, Ireland have to be better. They face an Italian side with their tails up. While Ireland have not lost to Italy since a famous 22-15 defeat back in 2013, now seems as likely a time as any to see this run brought to an end. The Irish look a shadow of the side most have become accustomed to seeing, while the Italians have been superb.

With all of the pressure on them, I back Ireland to secure the win, although I do not back it to be pretty. This one may end up as a real arm-wrestle in midfield. While I predict a home win, I do not see it being by more than 12 points.

Italy Form

What an afternoon of rugby it was for Italy in their opening Six Nations match of the year as they notched a stunning 18-15 win over Scotland.

Tactically, the game became a case of trying to withstand the torrential rain and force errors from the team with the ball. Fortunately for Italy, they managed to battle into a 15-7 lead as conditions got worse. This allowed them to pin Scotland back into their own half, with Italy then asking the Scottish whether they could play from deep with the slippery ball in hand. This was a question the Scottish could not find an answer to.

For all of Scotland's lofty ambitions in their opening match of the campaign, they were outplayed by their hosts as Italy took a major step towards ensuring they do not finish at the foot of the ladder this season.

When they had the chance to play with the ball in hand, Italy looked slick. Of course, unforced errors crept into their game due to the conditions, but this Italian side is starting to consistently play with some real intent.

While I predict that Italy will give Ireland a lot of problems, I back the home side to return to the sort of solid performance that will likely see them grind to a win. Ireland have been too good for Italy for many years, and I do not predict that this will change this weekend.

Verdict

Ireland v Italy

The Irish know they cannot afford to slip to a second defeat this weekend and I back them to bounce back with a battling win over an Italian side that will push them hard.

Ireland 1-12

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