Ireland vs Italy Live: Start Time, Lineups & How to Watch Today’s 2026 Six Nations Showdown

Ireland and Italy collide at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Saturday 14 February 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 2:10 pm local time (14:10 GMT) in Round 2 of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. Andy Farrell’s men are looking to reignite their championship challenge after an opening-week defeat, while the Azzurri arrive buoyed by a rare first-round victory that has lifted Italian optimism. How to watch • TV: Free-to-air coverage on RTÉ 2 in Ireland and on Sky Sports Arena in the UK. • Streaming: RTÉ Player (ROI), NOW and Sky Go (UK). • Radio: Live commentary on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra and RTÉ Radio 1. Confirmed line-ups Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Cormac Izuchukwu, Caelan Doris (c), Jack Conan. Replacements: R. Kelleher, T. O’Toole, T. Furlong, E. Edogbo, T. Beirne, N. Timoney, J. Gibson-Park, J. Crowley. Italy: Lorenzo Pani; Louis Lynagh, Tommaso Menoncello, Leonardo Marin, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Niccolò Cannone, Andrea Zambonin; Michele Lamaro (c), Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone. Replacements: T. Di Bartolomeo, M. Spagnolo, M. Hasa, F. Ruzza, R. Favretto, D. Odiase, A. Garbisi, P. Odogwu. Key talking points • Prendergast’s audition: With Johnny Sexton retired, 22-year-old fly-half Sam Prendergast has the chance to nail down the Irish No. 10 jersey. • Garbisi vs Prendergast: The duel between Italy’s established playmaker and Ireland’s newcomer could decide territory and tempo. • Breakdown battle: Michele Lamaro and Caelan Doris are two of Europe’s most prolific jackals; whoever slows ball better will hand their backs front-foot possession. • Historic hurdle: Italy have not beaten Ireland since 2013; their last victory in Dublin came back in 1997, when the fixture was still a Five Nations warm-up. Form guide • Ireland: L-W-W-W-L (most recent first) • Italy: W-L-L-L-L Match stats • Ireland averaged 29.7 points per game in last year’s championship, second only to France. • Italy’s line-out success rate in Round 1 was 91 %, their best since 2021. • James Lowe has scored four tries in his last three tests against the Azzurri. Prediction Italy’s new-found confidence should keep the game alive beyond half-time, but Ireland’s power on home soil and a bench packed with Lions experience point to a comfortable green win. Ireland by 18.