Ireland remain on course for a Grand Slam and a third successive title, having won their opening two matches under interim head coach Simon Easterby. A run of 14 defeats saw Wales part company with Gatland and with three games to go, they’ll be desperate to avoid a second successive Six Nations wooden spoon.

Good morning and welcome to The Independent ’s live coverage of the opening clash of the Six Nations weekend between Wales and Ireland. It’s the start of a new era for the hosts after the departure of Warren Gatland - can Matt Sherratt spark them into life against the tournament favourites?

Rugby fans in the UK are once again among the luckiest in the world, with all matches of the 2025 Six Nations set to be shown live on free-to-air networks BBC and ITV. This means viewers in the UK will be able to stream every game for free on ITVX. and BBC iPlayer. This match will be shown live on BBC 1, with coverage starting at 1:15 p.m. GMT.