Hotels for Six Nations 2027: Ireland v France

Two of the championship's most fervent travelling support bases collide on this weekend, with both sets of fans historically among the loudest in the tournament. Form in the earlier rounds will decide how much is riding on this one, but an Ireland-France weekend rarely needs extra stakes to feel like the biggest date on the calendar.

Super Saturday closes in Dublin as Ireland host France under the floodlights at the Aviva Stadium, a fixture that has decided more than one championship in recent years. The Aviva opened in 2010 on the site of Lansdowne Road, which had staged international rugby since 1878 and ranks among the oldest grounds in the sport; the sleek new bowl seats around 51,700 in the leafy suburb of Ballsbridge.

Ireland field a single side drawn from across the island, and France, championship members since 1910, bring quality and a lively travelling support for the trip to the Irish capital. As the final match of the tournament, an evening kick-off in Dublin can carry the title itself, and the city crackles accordingly.

Lansdowne Road DART station sits right beside the stadium, a short hop from a centre where Temple Bar, the Georgian squares and the Guinness Storehouse fill the rest of a match weekend, and rooms go early whenever the Six Nations comes to town.

Ireland's home of rugby and football, the Aviva Stadium rises above the Lansdowne Road area of leafy south Dublin, hosting internationals and major stadium concerts. The surrounding Ballsbridge district is genteel and green, with the Grand Canal and the city centre's pubs and restaurants a short distance away.

The DART commuter train stops at Lansdowne Road right beside the ground, linking along the coast and into the centre. Staying centrally keeps Dublin's nightlife close, with a quick DART ride out to the stadium.