It's winner-takes-all (with some caveats) at a sticky Stade de France today, as Pool B heavyweights Ireland and Scotland face off for a place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals. The permutations are many and convoluted, but the odds are stacked against Scotland, who must win by eight points – and deny Andy Farrell's men a bonus point – in order to qualify at the expense of Ireland. However, one potential outcome of Ireland vs Scotland would suit both teams very nicely...
Ireland vs Scotland in the Rugby World Cup is airing for FREE in the UK, on the ITVX streaming service, and in Ireland via Virgin Media Player, and coverage is now underway. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch Rugby World Cup 2023 live streams on ITVX from anywhere with a VPN.
► Date: Saturday, October 7
► Time: 8 pm UK & IST / 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT / 6 am AEDT (Oct. 8)
US: Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (both free with license fee)
IRE: Virgin Media 1 | Virgin Media Player (free)
AU: Stan Sport
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
Ireland (14 points) are currently second in the pool behind South Africa (15 points), whose fate also depends on the result of this match, with Scotland (10 points) in third. The likelihood is that it'll be either Ireland or Scotland that joins the Springboks in the latter stages of the tournament, though one scenario – albeit an unlikely one – would see both Ireland and Scotland go through together, dumping out the reigning champions in the process.
For that to transpire, Scotland would have to win by at least 21 points while allowing Ireland a bonus point. In that instance, Gregor Townsend's men would top the pool, and Ireland would gazump South Africa on the head-to-head rule.
Townsend rested Finn Russell and Duhan van der Merwe in preparation of this clash, and they'll need all the strength, guts and power they can muster in order to stand a chance against this formidable Irish unit. Not only have Ireland won 12 of their last 13 encounters with Scotland, they also look every inch the standout team at the tournament.
Ireland team: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (c), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris
Scotland team: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson; Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Jamie Ritchie (c), Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey
If you're a keen rugby union fan, you likely want to know how to watch Ireland vs Scotland. We've got all the information on that below, including how to watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 from anywhere.
How to watch Ireland vs Scotland 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 Ireland vs Scotland – along with every other game – on one of the various ITV-branded channels. This game is being shown 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 a few more details.
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 Ireland vs Scotland in Ireland for free
If you're fortunate enough to live in Ireland then you can enjoy every single minute of the Ireland vs Scotland live stream for FREE.
The game will be broadcast on the free-to-air channel Virgin Media 1 and you can access a live stream via Virgin Media 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 Ireland vs Scotland game and want to carry on watching your regular service, you'll need a VPN such as ExpressVPN. We'll explain exactly what you need to do below.
How to watch Ireland vs Scotland in the US
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcaster is the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including Ireland vs Scotland, 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.
Remember, if you're away from the US at the minute, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the Ireland vs Scotland live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up.
How to watch Ireland vs Scotland in Australia
In Australia, you've got two options for watching the Rugby World Cup. Firstly, online streaming service Stan Sport is showing every single game – including Ireland vs Scotland. The match kicks off on Sunday, October 8 at 6 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 they'll also be streaming on 9Now.
Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the Ireland vs Scotland live stream from Rugby World Cup 2023.
How to watch Ireland vs Scotland everywhere else
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Rugby World Cup, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.
However, in some places there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the rugby. 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
