It doesn't get much bigger than the world's top two sides by rankings meeting in a pool fixture at the Rugby World Cup, but that's exactly the task for South Africa vs Ireland. The Springboks are the defending champions, while Ireland won a Six Nations grand slam in the spring and tops the world rankings. The winner will go a long way to securing the top spot in Pool B, the so-called Group of Death, and so this is a game not to be missed.
The weather is set fair for this evening’s epic contest at the Stade de France in Paris’ suburbs, with temperatures cooling to 13C by kick-off, which is fast approaching. Pour yourself your favorite glass and settle down for what should be a superb evening’s entertainment.
This is set to be one of the games of the pool stage and the teams are listed below...
SOUTH AFRICA Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Jasper Wiese
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach
IRELAND Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (captain), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw
South Africa vs Ireland in the Rugby World Cup is airing for FREE in the UK, on the ITVX streaming service, and in Ireland via the RTE Player. But don't worry if you're abroad while the games are playing, because you can watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 live streams on ITVX from anywhere with a VPN.
► Date: Saturday, September 23
► Time: 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT / 8 pm UK & IST / 9 pm SAST / 5 am AEST (Sep. 24)
US: Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (both free with license fee)
IRE: RTE 2 |RTE Player (free)
SA: SABC Sport (free)
AU: Stan Sport
Stream anywhere: ExpressVPN
South Africa opened up with a nerveless 18-3 victory over Scotland, before last weekend's brutal 76-0 destruction of Romania with a much-changed XV, and head coach Jacques Nienaber has reverted to the majority of side that started against the former for this fixture. Nienaber's 'Bomb Squad' tactics are pretty obvious: forward pressure and lots of it, thanks to a 7-1 split of forwards over backs on his bench with Cobus Reinach the only cover behind the scrum. Influential lock Eben Etzebeth is fit to start, but fly-half Handre Pollard hasn't been rushed back with Manie Libbok starting at 10. The defending champions know what they're good at and intend to exploit it.
Ireland represents the Springboks toughest test yet in the defence of its world crown. Andy Farrell's side has comfortably beaten Romania and Tonga so far, but now come the big boys in South Africa and then Scotland. Ireland hasn't lost since a July 2022 defeat to New Zealand – who it has since beaten twice – and the team is flying. Johnny Sexton took his country's all-time points record last time out against Tonga and they look a well-oiled machine that will test the defending champions. Number eight Jack Conan is struggling to be fit but hooker Dan Sheehan and prop Finlay Bealham could feature. If the pack can get quick ball to Bundee Ake, then all bets are off.
Whether you're planning to catch a South Africa vs Ireland live stream or watch the entire Rugby World Cup on your TV or your laptop, keep reading for your entire list of options. We've also included lots of useful information below so you know when the matches take place, who will play, and where this evening's drama will go down.
How to watch South Africa vs Ireland in the UK for free
In the UK, ITV is the exclusive broadcaster for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so you'll be able to watch South Africa vs Ireland – and all the games – on one of the various ITV-branded channels. You'll be able to watch this game on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 7:15 pm ahead of the 8 pm kick-off.
If you don't have a TV, then you'll be able to use ITVX on your computer, phone, tablet or smart TV, as that lets you live stream from ITV channels. Here's how to watch live TV on ITVX if you need help.
ITV1 and ITVX are free to watch for license fee payers. If you're trying to access the streaming platform while outside the UK, you might want to try a VPN to allow you to watch from abroad.
How to watch South Africa Ireland vs Ireland in Ireland for free
If you're fortunate enough to live in Ireland then you can enjoy every single minute of the South Africa vs Ireland live stream for FREE.
The game will be broadcast on the free-to-air channel RTE 2 and you can access a live stream via the RTE Player if you live within the broadcaster's coverage area. Coverage starts at 7 pm IST, with kick-off at 8 pm IST.
If you're going to be abroad for the South Africa vs Ireland live stream and want to carry on watching your regular service because you'll need a VPN. We'll show you how to do that below from a site such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch South Africa vs Ireland in the US
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcasting company will be the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including South Africa vs Ireland, which will be streamed live on Peacock. The match kicks off at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.
You can sign in to Peacock, which starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Rugby World Cup games too.
Remember, if you're away from the US at the minute, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the South Africa vs Ireland live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up.
How to watch South Africa vs Ireland in South Africa
Good news, rugby fans in South Africa (and there are plenty of you) you can also watch the Springboks in action against Ireland for free. Kick-off is at 9 pm SAST.
A last-minute sub-licensing deal means Springboks game (including South Africa vs Ireland) will be available free-to-air on SABC, with selected games available on SABCSport.com’s live streaming channel. There are, however, restrictions on the OVHD platform, meaning millions will not be able to view the matches carried by SABC. Check local listings for more details.
Remember, if you want to watch every fixture at the Rugby World Cup 2023, not just the mighty Springboks, then pay-tv channel SuperSport is where you need to go. There are various SuperSport packages available, whether you want to watch via DStv or stream.
If you're currently outside South Africa but don't want to miss any of the South Africa vs Ireland action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
How to watch South Africa vs Ireland in Australia
In Australia, you've got two options for watching the Rugby World Cup. Firstly, online streaming service Stan Sport will be showing every single game – including South Africa vs Ireland. The match kicks off on Sunday, September 24 at 5 am AEST, so make sure the coffee is brewing.
Beyond this fixture, Channel Nine will be showing all of the Australian team's games (and the final, whether or not the Wallabies make it), and will also be streaming it on 9Now.
Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the South Africa vs Ireland live stream from the Rugby World Cup 2023.
How to watch South Africa vs Ireland everywhere else
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Rugby World Cup matches, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.
However, there's a possibility that there's no easy way of watching Six Nation games. Thankfully, you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN).
A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament even if it is not directly broadcasting where you are. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch.
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures
Group stage
Friday, September 22
Group D: Argentina vs Samoa
Saturday, September 23
Group B: South Africa vs Ireland
Group C: Georgia vs Portugal
Group D: England vs Chile
Sunday, September 24
Group B: Scotland vs Tonga
Group C: Wales vs Australia
Wednesday, September 27
Group A: Uruguay vs Namibia
Thursday, September 28
Group D: Japan vs Samoa
Friday, September 29
Group A: New Zealand vs Italy
Saturday, September 30
Group B: Scotland vs Romania
Group C: Fiji vs Georgia
Group D: Argentina vs Chile
Sunday, October 1
Group B: South Africa vs Tonga
Group C: Australia vs Portugal
Thursday, October 5
Group A: New Zealand vs Uruguay
Friday, October 6
Group A: France vs Italy
Saturday, October 7
Group B: Ireland vs Scotland
Group C: Wales vs Georgia
Group D: England vs Samoa
Sunday, October 8
Group B: Tonga vs Romania
Group C: Fiji vs Portugal
Group D: Japan vs Argentina
Knockout stage
Saturday, October 14
QF1: Group C winner vs Group D runner-up
QF2: Group B winner vs Group A runner-up
Sunday, October 15
QF3: Group D winner vs Group C runner-up
QF4: Group A winner vs Group B runner-up
Friday, October 20
SF1: QF1 winner vs QF2 winner
Saturday, October 21
SF2: QF3 winner vs QF4 winner
Friday, October 27
Bronze Final: SF1 loser vs SF2 loser
Saturday, October 28
Final: SF1 winner vs SF2 winner
Rugby World Cup 2023 questions
Where does the Rugby World Cup take place?
The Rugby World Cup 2023 is being hosted by France, with nine different locations around the country hosting rugby games:
- Stade de Framce in Saint-Denis, capacity 80,698
- Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, capacity 67,394
- Stade Lyon-Décines in Décines-Charpieu, capacity 59,186
- Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, capacity 50,186
- Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, capacity 42,115
- Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, capacity 41,965
- Stade de Nice in Nice, 35,624
- Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, capacity 35,322
- Stadium Municipa in Toulouse, capacity 33,150
Which teams are in the Rugby World Cup?
There are 20 teams partaking in the Rugby World Cup, with each split into four groups of five in the first stage of the tournament.
Chile makes its debut to the tournament this year, knocking out the United States and Canada in its successful qualification tournament.
Group A
New Zealand
France
Italy
Uruguay
Namibia
Group B
South Africa
Ireland
Scotland
Tonga
Romania
Group C
Wales
Australia
Fiji
Georgia
Portugal
Group D
England
Japan
Argentina
Samoa
Chile
