The Ireland fans are here in numbers and will be able to put away the brollies once they get under the roof of the Kobe Misaski Stadium.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

• Ireland and Russia have met twice previously, with Ireland winning by margins of 32 points and 50 points in those encounters in 2002 and 2011 respectively.
• Ireland’s 62-12 victory over Russia at the 2011 World Cup remains their second biggest win at the tournament, surpassed only by a 64-7 triumph over Namibia in 2003.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the Kobe Misaki Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

I have it on good authority from my BBC Scotland colleagues that their game here against Samoa on Monday night was excruciatingly uncomfortable... and that was in the press seats.

The two matches to have been played so far under the closed roof of the Kobe Misaki stadium have coughed up 65 handling errors between them.

The intense humidity and a ball that has been likened to a bar of soap are responsible for that number.

Mercifully for Ireland and Russia, today has been by far the mildest day of the week in the port city with some pretty heavy rain showers thrown into the mix for good measure.

It's still quite humid, but judging by the conditions earlier in the week, these two sides can be very thankful that it isn't a whole lot worse.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia coach Lyn Jones: "We are facing probably the toughest challenge that Russian rugby has ever faced. We take on one of the best teams in the world,

"Ireland. The challenge is huge but the enthusiasm and confidence in our team is very good, and preparation has gone well."

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Russia coach Lyn Jones has made nine changes to the starting XV that lost to Samoa on Tuesday with Ramil Gaisin coming into fly-half.

Former Northampton Saint and Russia leading try-scorer and captain Vasily Artemyev retains his place at full-back but second row Andrey Ostrikov, who is left Sale this summer, is on the bench

Russia: Artemyev; Davydov, Galinovskiy, Golosnitskiy, Simplikevich; Gaisin, Perov; Polivalov, Matveev, Gotovtsev, Garbuzov, Fedotko; Sychev, Gadzhiev, Gresev.

Replacements: Selskii, Morozov, Podrezov, Ostrikov, Elgin, Ianiushkin, Khodin, Ostroushkosday.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the Kobe Misaki Stadium

Image source, Getty

In case it was not already entirely obvious, this tournament is not going to be plain sailing for Ireland.

There's a late change on their bench as Conor Murray is drafted in to replace Joey Carbery, who apparently felt some irritation in his ankle at yesterday's captain's run.

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Here's Johnny!

Johnny Sexton will captain Ireland as Joe Schmidt makes 11 changes to his side to face Russia.

Rob Kearney, Garry Ringrose, Keith Earls and Peter O'Mahony are the only players to be retained from the shock defeat by Japanin Shizuoka.

Jordi Murphy comes into the back row having joined the squad on Monday as a replacement for the injured Jack Conan.

Munster duo Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne start as an international second row pairing for the first time.

Ireland: Kearney, Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Earls; Sexton, McGrath; Kilcoyne, Scannell, Ryan, Kleyn, Beirne; Ruddock, O'Mahony, Murphy.

Replacements: Cronin, Porter, Furlong, Henderson, Stander, Carty, Murray, Larmour.

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at the Kobe Misaki Stadium

So how do Ireland bounce back from that result against Japan?

Well, there's really nothing they can do today that will make that result go away.

Actually, losing to Russia might make the defeat by Japan a bit more understandable, but let's not even go there.

Today a bonus-point is the minimum expectation. Russia, with two losses and just one try from their opening games, should not in reality be able to make a fist of this.

Ireland need five-points to day for a number of reasons, but more than anything they need an utterly dominant display if they are to reclaim even a tenth of the momentum they lost five days ago in Shizuoka.

Scotland's bonus-point win over Samoa last time out means they are just a point behind Ireland.

Ireland need to win and win well against Russia tonight in Kobe to keep up the pace and stay on target for the last eight.

Image source, AFP

No margin for error, no room for any mistake.

Defeat by Japan in their last match has got Ireland's backs to the wall.

Suddenly the top-ranked team coming into the tournament are looking over their shoulder.