Hang on a moment. We have a technical hitch.

The referee cannot hear his assistants on the sidelines or back in the TMO truck through his earpiece.

I think we are now ready. Yes? Yes. Let's go...

Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales at Stadio Olimpico

With Jonathan Davies the new Wales skipper just for this game, it was strange to see Alun Wyn Jones at the other end of the Wales line as he is named as a replacement for the first time since 2014.

Of course all the fruity, fresh brass is back in spades for the Italian anthem.

Hands on hearts and heads in the sky for the Italy team.

We are ready for the off. Mathieu Raynal on the whistle.

Image source, Rex Features

The Daily Mail's Will Kelleher is bang on.

The Welsh national anthem is played as slowly and dirge-y as one of Vic Reeves' club singer impressions.

Top-level trolling from the Italians.

The teams are in the tunnel. Jonathan Davies is at the front of the Welsh queue for the first time in his career.

Sergio Parisse takes his usual spot, at the head of the Italian line.

Up the steps they come and out into the chilly Rome air.

National anthems up next...

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

You don't have to rely on the written word to follow this match.

We are bringing you right up to the early 20th century with live radio commentary direct from Rome.

You are able to listen in via BBC Radio 5 live sports extra on this very page, your digital wireless or the BBC Sounds app.

Image source, Getty Images

Italy's last win in the Six Nations was so long ago that a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union was still just a manifesto pledge.

You have to go back to February 2015 and a last gasp win over Scotland at Murrayfield.

Since then they have lost 18 matches in this tournament – a Five/Six Nations record.

Image source, Bands FC

Well, this is glorious.

Jonathan Davies, Tomos Williams and Alun Wyn Jones take the place of Sean Moore, James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire on the cover of Manic Street Preachers' iconic Everything Must Go.

It is one of several Six Nations takes on famous album covers by the clever people at Bands FC., external

Have a look over here for more of the good stuff. Led Zeppelin, Belle and Sebastian, Primal Scream, Elvis - something for everyone.

Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales at Stadio Olimpico

Image source, Getty

The Stadio Olimpico is slowly filling up at the moment but it will certainly not be a sellout.

More red of Wales than blue of Italy among the supporters at the moment.

Image source, Getty

It's pricier than Tenby apparently. Wales have spent the week on the southern French coast in the resort of Nice.

Hadleigh Parkes has reported back in his latest BBC Wales Sport column.

Click through to read more about Samson Lee's mussels, Liam Williams' clash with technology and the team's joke of the day.

Image source, Getty

Flanker Thomas Young is making his first Six Nations start today.

He is still waiting to lay a foot on the Millennium Stadium turf in anger though. His only previous outing in Cardiff was as an eight-year-old mascot on the occasion of his dad Dai's 50th cap.

Ireland have seen out a poor, patchy second half to claim a 22-13 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.

No bonus point, but that puts Joe Schmidt's side back on the tracks.

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Gracenote

Image source, Getty

• Only four of the Wales starting XV also started last year's match against Italy. That quartet are front rowers Nicky Smith and Elliot Dee, centre Owen Watkin and full back Liam Williams.

• One third of the Wales starting XV is playing in England's Premiership this season - Thomas Young (Wasps), Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints), Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors), Jonah Holmes (Leicester Tigers) and Liam Williams (Saracens) are the English based quintet.

• Liam Williams has scored a try in three of his four Test matches against Italy, only failing to do last year. In that match, Williams was yellow carded late in the first half and didn't re-appear after his 10 minute suspension had finished.

Centre Jonathan Davies will captain Wales for the first time on Saturday in a team featuring 10 changes from last week's win over France.

Flankers Thomas Young and Aaron Wainwright, wing Jonah Holmes and scrum-half Aled Davies all make their first starts in the Six Nations.

Josh Navidi moves to number eight with Ross Moriarty dropping to the bench, alongside usual captain Alun Wyn Jones.

Replacements: 16-Ryan Elias, 17-Wyn Jones, 18-Dillon Lewis, 19-Alun Wyn Jones, 20-Ross Moriarty, 21-Gareth Davies, 22-Gareth Anscombe, 23-Hallam Amos

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Gracenote

Image source, Getty Images

• Leonardo Ghiraldini plays his 50th Six Nations Championship match and will be the 20th person to achieve this milestone in Five/Six Nations. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) will become number 21 if he comes on during this match.

• Ghiraldini becomes the fifth Italian to appear in a half century of matches in the competition following Sergio Parisse, Martin Castrogiovanni, Marco Bortolami and Alessandro Zanni. Parisse is the record appearance maker in the competition, breaking Brian O'Driscoll's record last week. Parisse plays his 67th Six Nations match today.

Edoardo Padovani starts on the wing for Italy in one of two changes.

Wasps back Michele Campagnaro moves to centre to earn a 40th cap, while Benetton prop Nicola Quaglio replaces Andrea Lovotti to make just a third start.

Replacements: 16-Luca Bigi, 17-Cherif Traore, 18-Tizano Pasquali, 19-Federico Ruzza, 20-Marco Barbini, 21-Edoardo Gori, 22-Ian McKinley, 23-Tommaso Benvenuti

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Image source, Getty Images

Right, let's have a run through the cast list for this piece of drama...