Keith Wood
Former Ireland hooker on BBC One

"There is a huge Paul O'Connell sized hole in the Ireland line-up. Chris Henry will be a nuisance with the ball from the back row, helping to fill the ball-carrying gap."

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt on BBC One

"Paul O'Connell is the key decision maker and adds confidence to the group. We have to roll our sleeves up and get past his absence.

"[On making his Six Nations debut as coach] I was looking forward to it a bit more last night before I heard the news about Paul. It is part of the challenge, and we have to put together the best performance we can."

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland: Rob Kearney (Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), Luke Marshall (Ulster), Dave Kearney (Leinster); Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro), Conor Murray (Munster); Cian Healy (Leinster), Rory Best (Ulster), Mike Ross (Leinster); Devin Toner (Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Munster); Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: Jack McGrath (Leinster), Sean Cronin (Leinster), Martin Moore (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Tommy O'Donnell (Munster), Isaac Boss (Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster).

Scotland: Stuart Hogg; Sean Maitland, Alex Dunbar (all Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Sean Lamont; Duncan Weir (both Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Moray Low; Tim Swinson (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier); Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens, capt), David Denton (Edinburgh).

Replacements: Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Dickinson, Geoff Cross (both Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Castres).

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa).

Kick-off is 20 minutes away so here is a reminder of the team news.

Ireland, as we already know, have been dealt a huge blow with the loss of captain Paul O'Connell because of a chest infection. Dan Tuohy will now start in the second row. Ulster duo Andrew Trimble and Luke Marshall are surprise inclusions.

Stuart Hogg returns at full-back for Scotland after missing the autumn Tests through injury, while Alex Dunbar is preferred to Nick De Luca at centre. Tim Swinson gets the nod over Grant Gilchrist in the second-row while Ryan Wilson replaces virus-hit Johnnie Beattie.

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

"Scotland can be competitive in every match which gives them a chance, but they cannot afford any injuries to key players as there is not huge depth in certain positions.

"It is a tough start with Ireland away followed by England at Murrayfield. But Scotland will be aiming to win one of those games to set them up for the rest of the Championship."

Keith Wood
Former Ireland hooker on BBC One

"Although they ended up losing to New Zealand in the autumn, there was plenty of evidence of how Joe Schmidt wants Ireland to play in the way they took the game to the All Blacks.

"This will be the last fling for some of Ireland's greats, so they will not lack for motivation. With three home games, and two to begin with, Ireland can build momentum and if they can stay injury free, I can see them finishing first or second."

Coverage of the game is now starting on BBC One. Click the play button on the picture at the top of this page or glide your mouse (or finger) onto the 'Live Coverage' tab.

OptaJonny:, external Ireland have won just one of their last five home games in all competitions (L3, D1), beating Samoa 40-9 in November 2013.

OptaJonny:, external Including his Lions appearances, 135 of O'Driscoll's 136 have come as starts, no player has started more Test matches than this. The only match he did not start was a RWC fixture against Romania in 1999.

Image source, @EnglandRugby

The morning after the night before and England's players look weary as they prepare to head back from Paris following their agonising defeat to France. Head coach Stuart Lancaster says an improvement is required if they are to make a serious impact during this year's Six Nations. Next stop? Scotland at Murrayfield on 8 February.

But today would be nothing - nothing I tell you - without contributions from your good selves so send your chit-chat in this direction either via Twitter using the hashtag #bbcrugby, external or by texting 81111. And, there's more, because you can always visit BBC Sport's Facebook page, external if that's your thing.

How much of a blow is Paul O'Connell's absence for Ireland? Who will win the championship? Who are the players to watch? What superstitious routines are you going through to ensure your team will be victorious? Come on, I know you want to.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

What a digital age we live in, eh. BBC Radio 5 live sports extra will provide live commentary of the Ireland v Scotland match and there are a number of ways to listen to it. One such way is by clicking the 'Live Coverage' tab on the top of this page.

In fact, you can listen, read or watch this year's tournament on whatever piece of technology you've got at your disposal. PC? Smart phone? Tablet? Television? Radio? Use whatever you've got. Heck, why not use them all at the same time.

Keeping tabs on what's happening in Dublin today will be easy. There will, of course, be live text commentary to keep you company and, from 14:30 GMT, when BBC One get in on the act, there will be pictures of moving humans to accompany these words. You can either click the play button on the picture at the top of this page or glide your mouse (or finger) onto the 'Live Coverage' tab.

The highlights tab has some great video clips for your enjoyment, including the best bits from England's epic battle with France on Saturday.

What are folk saying in Scotland? The Scotsman lists five things, external captain Kelly Brown and the rest of the team must do to emerge from Dublin unscathed - bully the breakdown, dominate the set play, tackle around the ankles, kick cleverly and use the bench. And in Ireland? The Sunday Independent says the 2009 winners must not let hearts overrule heads. , external

Image source, @rbs_6_nations

Forty-five minutes until the action starts. It's cool and dry in Dublin. The pitch looks immaculate. It's a crisp mid-winter's day. Ideal conditions for the third fixture of the opening weekend of the Six Nations Championship.

We're 24 hours into the 2014 Six Nations and already the experts are tweaking their pre-tournament predictions after a day of high drama. Let's have a recap of Saturday's action.

Question marks have been raised whether Wales can win a historic third title despite a 23-15 win against Italy. But BBC Sport's Ben Dirs, who was at the Millennium Stadium, writes: "The uncomfortable truth is that Wales looked horribly ragged at times and worryingly fatigued at the final whistle."

And BBC Sport chief sports writer Tom Fordyce, at the Stade de France for England's 26-24 defeat to France, writes: "To have had a lead of 24-19 with four minutes to go and the ball deep in opposition territory will only add to the sense of regret and recrimination. That this was one of the great Six Nations matches will offer little comfort."

Image source, Getty Images

They might be without Paul O'Connell and Sean O'Brien but Ireland do have the hand of BOD. That's Brian O'Driscoll to you and I. Boyzone were riding high in the charts and Jedward were aged just seven when O'Driscoll made his first senior international appearance for Ireland in 1999.

Fast forward 15 years and the legendary centre will break Ireland's all-time caps record by earning his 129th when he emerges from the tunnel later in 45 minutes or so. Now 35, the Leinster hero is already Ireland's all-time leading try-scorer with 46, and will no doubt be hunting 50 before he calls it a day.

Retirement is drawing ever closer but while there is enough tape and sticking plaster to hold his battered body together, O'Driscoll is refusing to let go of the green shirt.

It is not only Scotland who have everything to prove. Ireland need to make amends following their worst Six Nations campaign, Declan Kidney's side finishing fifth in the 2013 table after just one win in five games.

Kidney is long gone. Ireland's future is now in the hands of New Zealand-born Joe Schmidt, the masterminded behind Leinster's 2011 and 2012 Heineken Cup triumphs. The 48-year-old came within a whisker of establishing himself as a new hero in Ireland when New Zealand trailed 22-17 in Dublin before winning 24-22 in November.

Win the Six Nations and Irish eyes will certainly be smiling in Schmidt's direction.

Hello! It's official, the 2014 Six Nations is in full swing after an opening day of high drama, last-gasp heartbreak and heated exchanges. And that was just France against England. Questions were also raised about defending champions Wales.

Now all eyes turn to Dublin. Stand by for more adrenaline-fuelled action from the banks of the River Liffey as Ireland look to address their consistency issues. Yet there are signs of encouragement for the travel-sick Scots and Vern Cotter, who takes over as head coach from interim Scott Johnson later in the year. For starters, they secured third spot in the table last year - their equal highest finish since the competition changed to a six-team format.

But just how significant will Paul O'Connell's absence prove for Ireland? They will undoubtedly miss his inspirational, warrior-like presence at the heart of their pack.

Image source, PA

Breaking news from the Irish dressing room where captain Paul O'Connell (in blue) is ruled out with a chest infection. Ulster's Dan Tuohy will now start in the second row for Ireland, with Leinster number eight Jamie Heaslip - last year's Irish captain - filling the role of skipper for today. Iain Henderson moves onto bench.

Image source, Getty Images

One thousand, four hundred and 15 days. Two hundred and two weeks, and one day. Three years, 10 months and thirteen days.

That's how long it is since Scotland last triumphed away from home in the Six Nations Championship.

The date: 20 March 2010. The opponents: Ireland. And five penalties by Dan Parks leaves Scottish supporters celebrating a famous 23-20 win at Croke Park.

Seven defeats in seven away games have followed. Can Scott Johnson's Class of 2014 end that miserable sequence in Dublin against an Ireland side still wounded by last year's next to bottom finish in the table? Time to find out. . . .