The anthems are done, Ireland's Call followed by a rather sedate rendition of Flower of Scotland piped around the stadium.

Peter Wright
Former Scotland prop on BBC Radio Scotland

Rory Best and Stuart McInally stride down separate tunnels, slow and purposeful walks with 22 blokes apiece at their backs.

They converge at the main exit, and to a colossal roar, head up the stairs, grab a mascot by the hand, and take the field.

Here. We. Go.

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the International Stadium Yokohama

Rory Best leads his team back into the tunnel having completed the warm-up, flanked by vice-captains Johnny Sexton and Peter O'Mahony.

A huge roar goes us from the travelling support.

Up above, it is fully grey. Prediction: it's going to absolutely chuck it down.

Alex Dunbar, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Huw Jones, Rory Hutchinson, Nick Grigg, Kyle Steyn...not just a very handy sevens team, but also a look at the scale and quality of the midfield firepower Gregor Townsend has left at home.

During the doldrums of the mid-noughties, Scotland would have killed to have any one of these guys available at centre. All have been deemed surplus to requirements in Japan.

A lot of that is down to the return to fitness of Duncan Taylor, who has endured the most horrific run of injuries these past two years. He can attack, defend, organise, lead, tackle-break and Townsend has been desperate to get him back involved.

His partnership with Sam Johnson, last year's brilliant break-out act, will be the coach's go-to option. Johnson's injury record doesn't make pretty reading either. Their pairing has a lot of promise if they can stay off the treatment table.

There's a cracking piece on these pages by BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English on the travails of his Irish compatriots this year, and the challenge facing Joe Schmidt before he leaves his post as head coach at the end of the World Cup.

Here's a wee snippet:

"What Schmidt is attempting to do now is akin to a magician pulling off his greatest trick, the landmark masterpiece before he leaves the stage. Picking Ireland up off the floor to make that yearned-for semi-final, or final, would be the glorious last chapter in Schmidt's legacy. Losing to Scotland is not part of the plan."

Check it out

Image source, Getty Images

Dave Denton would dearly love to be lacing up his boots today, not watching the action on TV.

The hulking back-row became the latest player to retire due to concussion this week. Throughout his career, and in the days since the announcement, he's spoken brilliantly about the need for players to look after their brains.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the International Stadium Yokohama

Given what's at stake it's not at all surprising that the build-up to this game has been a serious affair for both sides.

When you move into the stadium you feel the tension, and that's going to build and build right up to kick-off.

However outside the ground, there are a thousand reminders of why we love rugby and sport.

Enthusiastic local fans mingle with buzzing travelling supporters, posing for photos and generally having a good time.

It's the feelgood factor which is what loads of these fans are really here for, a proper celebration of rugby.

Let's hope the game lives up to the preamble.

Image source, BBC Sport

Of all the players Scotland can call upon, Finn Russell is arguably the most important. While Gregor Townsend has depth all over his squad, and a fine young deputy in Adam Hastings, he doesn't have another fly-half of Russell's immense quality.

The Racing 92 pivot has matured since moving to France. His game-management is better and the moments of flakiness have largely been eradicated.

The numbers show he has assisted seven tries in international rugby in 2019 - more than any other player who could feature at the World Cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Jacob Stockdale has scored 16 tries in just 21 Tests, already moving into Ireland's top 10 try-scorers of all time.

He's level with Ronan O'Gara in the table and a score behind Brendan Mullin and Andrew Trimble.

He galloped away to score in Ireland's Six Nations win over Scotland during February. What price try number 17 today?

Image source, Getty Images

Peter Wright
Former Scotland prop on BBC Radio Scotland

Hiding somewhere in that humungous purple vest is our roving reporter, Andy Burke, ready to bring you all the on-the-whistle reaction from the players at full-time.

It seems the vest's previous occupant enjoyed a few more plates of sushi than our Burkey.

He's Ireland's most successful ever captain, but for whatever reason, there's still a feeling that he's under-appreciated.

Rory Best is a colossus of the sport, never mind Irish rugby, and this World Cup will be the 35-year-old hooker's swansong.

He's taken a fair bit of heat this summer with Ireland's line-out faltering over the warm-up Tests, but former Ulster team-mate Darren Cave says Best is in better shape than ever.

"I don't know what Rory has got to do to win people over," said Cave. "For some reason he has to constantly keep proving himself.

"I don't think there has ever been a rugby player that has had to prove themselves so many times - but he is such a belligerent guy, it probably brings out the best in him.

"Some people say he's past it but he is as fit as he ever was. His tackling, his leadership, the impact he has on other players and his work at the breakdown all make him a key component of Joe Schmidt's team."

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland have a brutal recent record away from Murrayfield. They last won in Cardiff in 2002, Dublin in 2010, Paris in 1999 and Twickenham 1983.

In the World Cup, their last win over a Tier One opponent came three tournaments ago, a nail-biting victory over Italy in 2007.

In 2018 and 2019, they've shipped an average of just under 28 points per game away from home against Tier One teams.

They also averaged the most missed tackles of the Six Nations earlier this year - a pretty grim figure of 29 per match. They have to be better - a lot better - today.

While you're waiting for today's match to get going, why not treat yourself to some of yesterday's best bits?

Australia and Fiji, France and Argentina, then New Zealand and South Africa served up a bumper feast of World Cup action.

Since the 1999 World Cup, Ireland and Scotland have met 24 times and Ireland have lost only four of them.

If we forget about World Cup warm-up matches and leave only the really serious business of the Six Nations, it's played 20, won 18 for the Irish.

In more recent times, Scotland have only won the fixture once in their past six attempts - a sensational back-and-forth contest in 2017.

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland began 2019 in glorious form. Grand Slam winners, conquerors of New Zealand, seemingly unstoppable.

It all unravelled a little over the next nine months. In the Six Nations, England hammered them, delivering an almighty physical beating, and so did Wales. Ireland got two warm-up wins over the Welsh, but each came after a horrendous 57-15 embarrassment at Twickenham.

After blitzing 2018, in place of supremacy has come anxiety: have they peaked too soon?

Scotland were typically inconsistent. Thumped in Nice, a 32-3 shellacking by France that showcased all of the team's flaws. Then they beat the French narrowly at home, and cruised past Georgia in successive weekends.

We didn't learn a great deal about Townsend's men then, but we certainly will over the next few weeks.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the International Stadium Yokohama

If you were a sun cream salesperson in Yokohama, you'll have enjoyed yourself this week.

Ireland and Scotland are two fantastic nations united by, among other things, their people's propensity to turn pink when exposed to almost any form of sunlight.

This week in Yokohama we've had a lot of sun and a lot of blue sky, but we've also had the occasional biblical downpour.

Today there hasn't been any rain yet, but the blue skies that soared above the stadium at midday local time have long gone, and in their place are some menacing grey clouds.

The forecast predicts we may see some weather in the second half, but forecasting the conditions over here appears to be a thankless task.

Never before has a Scotland team taken the field at a World Cup with more caps to their name.

Gregor Townsend's starting XV boasts a combined haul of 630 Tests.

In each of the marginal selection calls, the head coach has gone for experience. Ryan Wilson over Blade Thomson. Greig Laidlaw over Ali Price. Tommy Seymour over Darcy Graham.

It's a battle-hardened line-up with some serious marauding firepower on the bench.

Image source, Getty Images