The fifth and final game of Ireland’s 2025 Six Nations Championship campaign will be their third away match of the tournament and takes place in Rome.
When is Italy v Ireland?
Italy host Ireland on Saturday, March 15. The match will kick-off at 2.15pm (GMT).
The other final-round matches both take place later in the day with England visiting Wales at 4.45pm (GMT) and France v Scotland getting underway at the Stade de France at 8pm (GMT).
Where is Italy v Ireland taking place?
At the Stadio Olimpico, where Italy gave Ireland a run for their money the last time they met there, losing 34-20 in 2023.
How to watch Italy v Ireland on TV
It will be on ITV1. BBC and ITV once again share coverage of the Six Nations in the UK: ITV has the rights for the home games of England, Ireland, France and Italy while the BBC has all the matches at Murrayfield and the Principality Stadium.
Who is the referee?
England’s Luke Pearce has the whistle for Italy’s home match against Ireland and has Angus Gardner from Australia and South Africa’s Morné Ferreira running the line. England’s Andrew Jackson will perform TMO duties and Tual Trainini from the French Rugby Union is the Foul Play Review Officer.
Luke Pearce has established himself as one of the best referees in the game over his 15-year professional career. He has officiated at the World Cup, in European finals and Six Nations Grand Slam deciders and has established a reputation for a style that promotes flowing rugby and seeks to reduce stodgy periods of inaction.
Pearce’s father, Andrew, refereed in the Championship, which inspired him to take up the whistle at the age of 16. The 37-year-old has developed the skill of communicating with players in a friendly yet firm manner, often speaking with a smile while also not being afraid to march teams back 10 metres when they talk back.
The Welsh-born referee has already officiated a match involving Italy this campaign when he was assistant referee for their defeat at Murrayfield in round two, while he was the man in the middle when these two sides met 12 months ago in Dublin.
Can Ireland win the Six Nations?
After losing 42-27 to France in Dublin on Saturday Ireland’s Six Nations fate is out of their hands. In order to win the title for a record third year running they need to produce a win by a significant margin in Rome and hope that France lose to Scotland in Paris on March 15.
What is the latest team news?
Ireland
Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley will make his first start of this year’s Six Nations.
Amid reports he could leave Munster to join Gallagher Premiership side Leicester at the end of the season, Crowley replaces Sam Prendergast as part of six changes to Simon Easterby’s starting XV.
The 25-year-old played every minute of Ireland’s title-winning campaign in 2024 but Leinster playmaker Prendergast, 22, has started the past six Test matches.
Fit-again wings James Lowe and Mack Hansen return, while centre Garry Ringrose is preferred to Bundee Aki following his suspension.
In the forward pack, James Ryan comes in for Joe McCarthy in the second row and Jack Conan takes Peter O’Mahony’s place at blindside flanker.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong is poised for his first Ireland action since last summer’s tour of South Africa, having been named among the replacements following hamstring and calf problems.
O’Mahony and fellow retiring centurion Conor Murray will make their final Test outings from the bench.
Prop Cian Healy – Ireland’s most-capped player with 137 appearances – looks to have already played his final international after being left out of the matchday squad, with Jack Boyle providing loosehead cover for Andrew Porter.
McCarthy, O’Mahony, Prendergast and Aki drop to a bench which also includes hooker Gus McCarthy.
Ireland XV: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; J Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Bealham, J Ryan, T Beirne, Conan, Van der Flier, Doris
Replacements: G McCarthy, Boyle, T Furlong, J McCarthy, O’Mahony, Murray, Prendergast, Aki
Six Nations 2025 table
When did Italy and Ireland last win the Six Nations?
Italy have never won the title but they can lay claim to one Six Nations victory over Ireland; a 22-15 home victory in March 2013. Ireland have won back-to-back Six Nations titles and are seeking to become the first side to win it three years running. Should they achieve the ‘three-peat’ they will join England in having the most Six Nations titles, with seven.
What was the score last year?
Ireland won 36-0 at the Aviva Stadium in 2024, in a one-sided contest the Azzurri head coach Gonzalo Quesada likened to New Zealand in their prime. “When they got 19 points [ahead], it was like the All Blacks from some years ago,” said the Argentine. “They just go through their basics. They had 100 per cent of the line-out, 100 per cent of the scrum, 100 per cent of the high balls. And then they just work their rucks in attack and defence with extreme efficiency.”
