Ireland vs Italy, Six Nations 2024: Kick-off time, TV channel, live stream, team news, lineups, h2h, odds
The Men in Green made a superb start to the defence of their fourth Grand Slam title in Marseille on opening night, running in five tries in total in their biggest-ever away win in France to deliver an emphatic statement to bounce back from their painful World Cup quarter-final exit in the autumn.
Andy Farrell’s side will be hugely confident of following up that ominous triumph with another win here back on home soil as they close out round two on Sunday, with Italy having beaten Ireland only once in this competition (11 years ago) and never in Dublin.
The Azzurri endured a dismal World Cup in the autumn with humiliatingly heavy pool-stage defeats by both France and New Zealand, though made a promising start to their attempts to avoid a ninth successive Six Nations wooden spoon last weekend.
Starting another new cycle under the coaching tutelage of former Argentina fly-half Gonzalo Quesada, Italy began so brightly against England at the Stadio Olimpico with incisive tries from Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Allan either side of an Elliot Daly score, with the visitors finally asserting some much-needed control after the interval before Monty Ioane’s last-gasp effort ensured Italy’s smallest-ever losing margin against England - 27-24.
Ireland vs Italy date, kick-off time and venue
Ireland vs Italy takes place on Sunday February 11, 2024, with kick-off at 3pm GMT.
The game will be hosted at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
How to watch Ireland vs Italy
TV channel: In the UK, Ireland vs Italy is being shown live and free-to-air on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 2:15pm.
Live stream: The ITVX website and ITVX app will also offer a free live stream online.
Ireland vs Italy team news
Ireland should have Garry Ringrose back in contention to face Italy, with the Leinster centre having missed the win over France with a shoulder injury. Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw was the midfield partnership in his absence.
Elsewhere, Jack Crowley shone at fly-half in his first game deputising for the retired Johnny Sexton, while Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash also thrived on their respective Six Nations debuts, the former picked ahead of James Ryan at lock and the latter filling in for the injured Mack Hansen.
Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt said earlier this week that Nash and full-back Hugo Keenan were among those nursing “a few bumps and bruises” after a physical clash in Marseille, but nothing too serious. Dave Kilcoyne and Jimmy O’Brien are among their absentees for the tournament.
Ireland will hope to have Garry Ringrose back from a shoulder injury this weekend
AFP via Getty Images
Italy were dealt another double blow in the pack on Thursday with back-rowers Lorenzo Cannone and Edoardo Iachizzi both ruled out through injury, having already lost Sebastian Negri to a rib issue.
The Azzurri will at least hope to have star man Ange Capuozzo back after a bout of gastroenteritis forced him to miss the defeat by England as Lorenzo Pani came in, while centre Tommaso Menoncello made his return in Rome after missing the World Cup.
Simone Ferrari, Paolo Odogwu, Dino Lamb and Marco Riccioni are also sidelined for Italy, who handed debuts off the bench to prop Mirco Spagnolo and flanker Alessandro Izekor in round one as Federico Ruzza earned his 50th cap in the second row and Alessandro Garbisi joined older brother Paolo at half-back, picked ahead of Gloucester’s Stephen Varney.
Both Andy Farrell and Gonzalo Quesada are set to name their teams for this match on Friday. Check back in then to see the lineups in full.
Ireland vs Italy head to head (h2h) history and results
It is 11 years now since Italy’s one and only win over Ireland in the Six Nations, triumphing 22-15 in Rome in 2013.
Aside from a trio of Italy wins elsewhere in the mid-1990s, Ireland have won every other rugby game between the two nations across all competitions, including the last 14 in a row.
Italy lost 33-17 on their last visit to Dublin in the World Cup warm-ups last summer, while they were beaten 34-20 in Rome in the Six Nations in 2023, delivering a spirited performance against the eventual Grand Slam winners.
Ireland vs Italy prediction
Italy showed promising signs of real progress in the first half against England, with some vibrant attacking play and excellent running rugby.
Quesada will have been disappointed with their weaker second-half efforts before Ioane’s late try, but there was more than enough shown on opening weekend to suggest that the Azzurri might yet be able to seriously compete to avoid yet another last-place finish.
But going to Dublin is as tough a test as there is in world rugby right now, particularly after that scintillating defeat of France that showed Ireland are undoubtedly the favourites for Six Nations glory once again.
It’s impossible to see anything other than a commanding home victory at the Aviva.
