Wales and Ireland begin their Six Nations campaigns on Sunday in Cardiff with both head coaches looking for improved performances as they play their opening match in front of an empty Principality Stadium. Here’s how to watch the Wales v Ireland live stream anywhere in the world.
Both nations have won a Grand Slam in the past three years, but are lagging behind England and France in the northern hemisphere’s pecking order.
Head coach Wayne Pivac’s first full year in charge saw Wales finish a disappointing fifth in last year’s Six Nations, while his side only won three competitive matches out of 10 in 2020, including a 32-9 defeat to Ireland in Dublin in the Autumn Nations Cup.
Ireland, too, have been inconsistent. Coach Andy Farrell remains unbeaten at home, but has yet to see his team register an away win since he took over for last year’s Six Nations, with his side finishing third in the championship last time out.
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is fit to play on Saturday, as he looks to lead his side to a first victory in Cardiff since 2013, while Wales will have hooker Ken Owens available again after he missed the autumn campaign with a shoulder injury.
On the wing, George North will play in his eleventh Six Nations tournament for Wales after making his competition debut in 2011 as an 18-year-old. North has now scored 41 tries in 98 internationals, and will join the 100-club later in the tournament.
"Wales didn’t play well in the Autumn Nations Cup so there will be some pressure on head coach Wayne Pivac," former Wales international and BBC pundit Jonathan Davies told whattowatch.com. "George North remains Wales’ biggest asset, so it’s important to get him into the game against Ireland as much as possible."
How to watch Wales vs Ireland for free in the UK
The game will be shown on BBC1 on Sunday February 7 from 2pm for a 3pm GMT kick off. The match is also being shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. You can live stream the match on iPlayer on a string of different devices including phones and laptops.
How to watch Wales vs Ireland anywhere in the world
There is a handy way to watch your favourite TV shows from wherever you are in the world, and it is called VPN. This lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch your favourite TV shows even if you’re away from home. But which VPN will suit your needs best?
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How to watch Wales vs Ireland in the US
NBC Sports will be showing the games in America. While you used to have to buy an NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass, now that pass is available as part of its new streaming platform, Peacock. Peacock is available for $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service which means you can catch all the Six Nations games. You can also pay $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.
