Sean Maitland gathers Conor Murray's box-kick and it sets Scotland on to the front foot. They batter their way to just outside the 22, then Stuart Hogg dances round three green shirts before being brought to deck.

Penalty to the visitors now as Ireland are penalised for holding on. A really positive start by Scotland. This is kick-able.

Ireland soak up early Scottish pressure, before Caelan Doris makes an immediate impact and gets into the ruck to win the turnover penalty.

Stuart Hogg gets things under way...

Right, who's winning this? Thumbs up or Ireland, thumbs down for Scotland...

Andrew Priestley: Rob Herring has been in great form for Ulster over the last 12 months, however his lineout throwing has been showing some signs of vulnerability in recent games. If he can keep his set-piece play under control he will be a good replacement for Rory Best.

Republic of Ireland football manager Mick McCarthy has had a bit of a 'mare here as he tries to go in the wrong gate at the Aviva...

Peter Wright
Former Scotland prop on BBC Radio Scotland

Here come the anthems...

Edinburgh number eight Nick Haining will make his Scotland debut in Dublin tonight at the age of 29, but who is he?

Australia-born with a Scottish granny from Dundee, he was close to giving up rugby having come through the Western Force academy. But after sending out a highlights reel he signed for Jersey Reds before moving to Bristol, and then on to the Scottish capital.

He comes highly recommended by Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill, but this is another step up entirely. Can he bring the brute carrying Scotland have often lacked in the back-row?

Image source, SNS

21-year-old Caelan Doris will start at number eight for Ireland, and there is much excitement about what the Leinster man can produce on what will be his international debut.

He's firmly established himself as Leinster's first-choice man at the base of the scrum, having started in five of their six Champions Cup pool games as the province dominate in Europe and in the Pro14, having won every single one of their 16 matches this season.

Doris has kept out his extremely talented club-mate Max Deegan to start. Will he be a breakthrough star of the Six Nations?

Image source, Inpho

Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at Aviva Stadium

Andy Farrell is not unfamiliar to Irish Rugby fans, Johnny Sexton is a face they'll have seen before too.

And with 10 starters retained from their last (unsuccessful) outing, Ireland's brave new dawn opens with more than a subtle nod to the old regime.

Out with the old and in with the new it is not, but this week Sexton said that a week in Farrell's Ireland camp was a completely different experience to that of his predecessor Joe Schmidt.

So what will we see from Ireland today?

The back three selection of Jordan Larmour, Andrew Conway and Jacob Stockdale made for promising reading for fans of exciting, attack-minded rugby.

You suspect there will be an immediate focus on winning the battle up front before the backs are given license to cut loose.

There is a real sense of excitement in Dublin, we're about to see what Andy Farrell's Ireland looks like.

The main criticism of Scotland in the last year has been a fairly simple, if harsh one - they're too soft in defence. BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English has written about their problems here, and believes Scotland must show much more guts and fight if they're to improve.

It's something the Scotland camp are all too aware of, with a new defence coach in Steve Tandy arriving, and Gregor Townsend saying this week: "We must be a relentless collective on the pitch and a nightmare for the Irish to deal with, while having the ability and awareness to impose our game at that intensity."

Image source, SNS

It's been a turbulent build up to Scotland's preparations for obvious reasons. Head coach Gregor Townsend has told BBC Scotland only time will tell where they now are as a squad.

"We obviously take a lot out of what they've done in training, how they've spoken to each other off the field, they've really bonded," he said. "But ultimately the test is out in the 80 minutes we have tonight.

"It starts and finishes with defence. We know teams playing at home will want to move the ball a little bit more and get the energy of the crowd behind them. So we have to front up defensively."

On whether Adam Hastings can step up and take control in replace of Finn Russell, Townsend said: "I think temperament is one of Adam's strengths, his work rate too. He has played 16 times now for Scotland, he has played in some big away games. He's shown more consistency this year and learned a lot more, and quickly, about how to play against different defences and what to do."

Image source, SNS

There is a bit of a freshness to the Scotland squad compared to the one that limped out of the World Cup at the hands of hosts Japan.

There are 10 changes in all, some of them enforced after the retirements of Greig Laidlaw, John Barclay and Tommy Seymour, plus Finn Russell's exile and an injury to Darcy Graham.

Prop Rory Sutherland makes his first start for three-and-a-half years, Glasgow Warriors lock Scott Cummings will make his Six Nations debut in the second-row and, as expected, Warriors outside centre Huw Jones makes his return to the side after improved recent form. Edinburgh's Blair Kinghorn replaces the injured Graham on the wing.

Ali Price comes in for Laidlaw at scrum-half, and Saracens wing Sean Maitland starts in place of Seymour, and Adam Hastings plays at 10 in place of Russell.

There's also the introduction of Nick Haining at number eight, as he joins Edinburgh team-mates Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie in the back-row.

Conor Murray has been a totem at scrum-half for Ireland through an incredibly successful period in their history with Joe Schmidt in charge. His pinpoint box-kicking, superb passing and telepathic relationship with Johnny Sexton were all pivotal in a gloriously successful 2018 for the boys in green.

However, a poor 2019 for Ireland and Munster collectively, plus personal battles for form and fitness mean Murray's once undisputed claim to the nine jersey have come under threat, mainly from livewire John Cooney of Ulster.

However, Andy Farrell has ignored the noise and put his faith in 30-year-old Murray to return to his best. You suspect, though, he needs a performance this evening to keep that trust.

Image source, Inpho

Both men sitting in the coaches' booths this evening have points to prove this Six Nations, but for different reasons. For Ireland's Andy Farrell, it's about establishing himself firmly as a head coach rather than an assistant one, having been Irish defence coach under Joe Schmidt, and the same with the Lions under Warren Gatland. Can he step into the spotlight and be successful?

As for Gregor Townsend, it's about proving he's still the man to lead Scotland forward after a dismal 2019 and the Finn Russell saga. Which man will be smiling come full-time in Dublin?

Image source, Inpho/SNS

There's a late change on the Scotland bench today. Tighthead prop Simon Berghan is ill, and so WP Nel replaces him among the substitutes.

As well as a new head coach in Andy Farrell, there are five changes to the matchday squad from Ireland's last Test, a trouncing by New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Connacht centre Bundee Aki, who was suspended for that game following a red card against Samoa, is preferred to Robbie Henshaw, who will offer cover for both centre and full-back on the bench.

With veteran full-back Rob Kearney seemingly not in Farrell's plans, Jordan Larmour gets his chance to nail down the position after some scintillating form with Leinster.

Larmour will be flanked by Andrew Conway, who comes in for Keith Earls, and Jacob Stockdale as Farrell selects the same back three that started in Ireland's best performance at the World Cup, against today's opponents Scotland.

Rob Herring comes in at hooker in place of the now retired Rory Best, and Peter O'Mahony is on the bench as Caelen Doris starts at number eight, with CJ Stander shifting to blindside flanker.