France welcome Ireland to Paris this week in what is the first Thursday match in the Six Nations since Les Bleus hosted Ireland in Colombes in 1948. Ireland won that game before going on to clinch the first of their four Grand Slams. Will history repeat itself?
The 2026 Six Nations kicks off on Thursday night with an exciting clash between France and Ireland at Stade de France, Paris.
France are the only side that Ireland don’t having a winning record against in the men’s Six Nations, having won just 11 of their 26 clashes so far (L13, D2).
They did win their most recent away game against them in the Championship (2024), however that match took place in Marseille due to the upcoming Olympic games that year. Ireland’s last win in Paris was in 2018.
France are our favourites to win the 2026 Men’s Six Nations and their impressive home form will be a big factor in that. Fabien Galthie’s men have won 12 of their last 13 games at the Stade de France in the Championship, the exception a bizarre added-time loss to Scotland in 2021.
That defeat came in a rearranged game in which they were chasing a big score to overtake Wales and secure an unlikely title.
Go Deeper:
RugbySix Nations Predictions: Opta Experts on What to Expect in 2026
3 hours ago Nick Bentley, Jonny McCormick, Jordan Kingston RugbyOne Player to Watch From Every Team in the 2026 Men’s Six Nations
2 days ago Jordan KingstonAfter winning the 2025 Six Nations, France’s season tailed off. Four consecutive losses to New Zealand (three times) and South Africa (once) will have frustrated Galthie, although an inexperienced squad did show decent resolve in the first and third Tests against the All Blacks.
Ireland similarly will have seen their own losses to New Zealand and South Africa in November as worrying indicators of where their form sits. It feels like Andy Farrell’s legacy is at a crossroads, with a transitional feel in the squad.
Where the Game Will Be Won
For the first time, the winner of this match will be awarded a trophy, the Solidarity Trophy. It will be the eighth ‘Rivalry Trophy’ in the men’s Six Nations, meaning more than half of the 15 fixtures will see the engraving department in action in 2026.
Who will be the first team etched into the silver, we wonder? Let’s analyse where this game could be won and lost.
France’s set-piece was exemplary in the 2025 Six Nations. They had the best lineout success rate (99%, 66/67) and second best scrum success rate (95%) of any side. In fact, after losing one lineout and one scrum in Round 1 against Wales, they then maintained 100% success rates in both routines for the rest of the Championship.
Teams that can lay a platform and also have the creative talent that France have in the backs makes for a formidable combination. Half-backs Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert have the potential to become a legacy duo. Dupont is already labelled as one of the best nines ever in world Rugby, while Jalibert is maturing into a perfect 10.
Both are experienced campaigners, but as a pair they have only started 12 times together, with the bulk of those starts coming in 2021 (six).
If Jalibert can continue his club form from this season, then France could be unstoppable. He has more try involvements (25) than any other player in European domestic competition this season, averaging one every 42 minutes – second on that list is Bordeaux teammate Louis Bielle-Biarrey (23).
Jalibert has also beaten the most defenders of any back (78) and has the best tackle evasion rate (68%) of any of the 344 players to play 700+ minutes. This rare dual threat of creativity and elusive running at No. 10 could prove the difference over an Irish side lacking in both confidence and cohesion.
France vs Ireland Fantasy Picks
Dupont is back, Bielle-Biarrey scores tries for fun and Jalibert is the hottest player in Europe this season, but you already knew that about France.
The spine of Galthie’s team comes from Toulouse, Toulon and Bordeaux Begles. In fact 83% of the caps in his initial 42-player squad were won by players from those three teams.
That ratio could have been even higher if he hadn’t dropped record try scorer Damian Penaud (Bordeaux, 59 caps) ahead of the Championship. His likely replacement, Theo Attissogbe (Pau), is one player not from that triumvirate of clubs and is definitely one who could rack up some fantasy points.
Ireland also have some vacant spots up for grabs in their short- and long-term squad development. Tommy O’Brien was our player to watch for them in this Championship. His gainline power and eye for a break make him a real threat, backed up by a solid try-scoring rate (5 in 6 games for Ireland).
86% – Tommy O’Brien had the best gainline success rate (86%) of any player for a Tier 1 nation in 2025 (30+ carries). Opening.The @leinsterrugby wing is our player to watch for @IrishRugby at the 2026 @SixNationsRugby… Read more… t.co/I4eM0aIFAB
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) January 30, 2026Dan Sheehan is the joint-most expensive player in the official Fantasy Game this season, alongside goal-kicking full-back Thomas Ramos (the top points scorer in each of the last three editions of the Six Nations).
Sheehan has scored a record five tries among forwards in each of the last two campaigns, scoring tries against France in both 2024 and 2025, making him hard to omit.
Value elsewhere in Irish players is harder to find. Beyond some potential super-sub options, Joe McCarthy could be your best option. His last Test match came for the British & Irish Lions when a foot injury curtailed what was promising to be a memorable tour. With Ireland’s aging engine room under fire, McCarthy’s return could be just the tonic for a revival.
France vs Ireland Prediction
When these sides met in Round 4 last year Ireland were tight favourites (55%), but the tide has turned. The Opta supercomputer’s prediction for this fixture in 2026 has France with a 79.3% chance of victory here.
The Opta supercomputer thinks Les Bleus will be comfortable victors, denying the visitors any Championship points with a score prediction of 32-18 in front of a raucous home crowd.
France vs Ireland Lineups
France: 15 Thomas Ramos; 14 Theo Attissogbe, 13 Nicolas Depoortere, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Loius Bielle-Biarrey; 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Antoine Dupont (c); 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 4 Charles Ollivon, 5 Mickael Guillard, 6 Francois Cros, 7 Oscar Jegou, 8 Anthony Jelonch.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Regis Montagne, 19 Hugo Auradou, 20 Emmanuel Meafou, 21 Lenni Nouchi, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Kalvin Gourgues.
Ireland: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Jeremy Loughman, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tom Clarkson, 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 6 Cian Prendergast, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris (c).
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 James Ryan, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Nick Timoney, 22 Craig Casey, 23 Jack Crowley.
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France vs Ireland Prediction: Six Nations 2026 Preview Opta Analyst.
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