Hugo Keenan calls for a mark and stretches his legs to get Ireland up to the halfway line.

Robbie Henshaw makes some more ground and Ireland are in the Italian half for the first time.

It's a great chance to open the scoring but Paolo Garbisi scuffs it low and wide.

Paddy Wallace
Former Ulster and Ireland centre on BBC Radio Ulster

"Italy will be very happy with their early defensive set-up which has negated Ireland's attack.

Italy win the first penalty after Robbie Henshaw was penalised at the ruck.

After a quick discussion, Michele Lamaro points to the posts.

Italy win the line-out with a clever short throw and are now letting the forwards chip away at the Irish defence.

Craig Casey costs Ireland some ground as he tries to send the ball long but it goes straight into touch.

Italy will have the first line-out just outside the Irish 22.

Image source, Getty Images

Italy are having some early possession in the Ireland half and show some nice hands, but they kick is straight into green jerseys just as they looked to move it wide.

Off we go!

Like pineapple on a pizza, there are some who feel that Italy don't belong in the Six Nations.

Unlike pineapple on a pizza, Italy have been answering those questions recently and will be looking for a big scalp today.

Will they do it?

Image source, Getty Images

I'll honest, I'm not sure who this wee fella is, but that was a superb rendition of Ireland's Call.

Proper 10/10 stuff all round.

Good luck to the team to try and match that one. That's the performance of the day.

Image source, Getty Images

The pre-match formalities with Irish president Michael D Higgins are complete.

Now it's time for the anthems. This should be good.

Before the anthems there was a touching tribute to former Ireland, Ulster and Lions legend Syd Millar, who passed away in December aged 89.

A minute's applause for a legend of the game.

Image source, Inpho

Here come the teams.

It's a big moment for Caelan Doris, who leads Ireland out for the first, and I suspect not the last, time.

Final preparations...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI at Aviva Stadium

The atmosphere at Sunday games can be a little flat sometimes.

There's still tons of Ireland fans yet to take their seats here, but even when this place is full in 20 minutes or so, it faces an uphill battle beating the spine-tingle pre-match pyrotechnics at Stade Velodrome last week.

The French really know how to put on a show.

We're not under the lights in Dublin today, obviously, but I would expect it to get lough enough for the players marching out on to the pitch.

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has praised the "astonishing" progress made by back row Caelan Doris "as a leader and a professional" in recent years.

Doris will captain the side for the first time in Sunday's Six Nations game against Italy after regular skipper Peter O'Mahony was ruled out by injury.

"We're excited to give him the reins and let's see what he can do with it," said Farrell before the Dublin game.

"To put him in that position is a massive privilege for me."

Read more from Farrell here.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI at Aviva Stadium

Caelan Doris' first captain's message in the match programme doesn't stray far from the tried-and-tested template.

He says it is a "dream come true" to captain Ireland and that he is "proud and honoured".

The back row, the 110th player to captain the Irish men's team, adds that the squad have approached today's game with a "positive mindset", which isn't hard to believe after last week's result.

Make no mistake, though: Doris deserves this big day. He's been one of Ireland's most consistent performers over the past few years.

He was sensational at times last year and it's no surprise at all to see Andy Farrell prepping the 25-year-old for a potential full-time captaincy in the future.

Ireland back row Jack Conan says Italy are "so close to getting a few big scalps" as the sides prepare to meet in the Six Nations in Dublin on Sunday.

England needed a second-half comeback to beat Italy in Rome last week.

Italy also pushed Ireland close in Rome last year, ultimately falling to a 30-24 defeat, while they stunned Wales in Cardiff in 2022.

"Italy play with so much passion and emotion and they're now bringing that accuracy as well," said Conan.

"They're so close to getting a few big scalps. You can see it when they play.

"They were unlucky against England but we've got to do everything in our power to stop them."

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Here's more from Rob Herring on today's game in Dublin...

We have talked a lot in the past few years about how much Italy are improving, and that was evident again against England on Saturday.

They looked superb in the first half and showed a lot of what they can do, with the style of fast rugby they can play.

I'm sure they will be very disappointed they weren't able to see it through as that would have been a massive win for them.

You could see it against England and even in the Six Nations last year, they are constantly improving and they have the players to go and do it now

They are now on the cusp of being a side who will win a few games in the Six Nations and cause a shock or two.

Andy Farrell will be ramming home the message that Ireland will not be on the receiving end of that.

Having been in previous camps, I know that complacency is not a word in the squad's vocabulary.

Momentum is huge in the Six Nations and Ireland will be focused on not only backing up the win over France, but improving on it.

Italy are without influential flanker Sebastian Negri because of the rib injury he suffered against England in Rome, while Lorenzo Cannone is also missing with a knee issue.

Alessandro Izekor and Manuel Zuliani come into the back row and captain Michele Lamaro moves to number eight.

Ange Capuozzo returns from illness at full-back in place of Tommaso Allan and Stephen Varney replaces Alessandro Garbisi at scrum-half.

Italy:15-Capuozzo; 14-Pani, 13-Brex, 12-Menoncello, 11-Ioane; 10-Garbisi, 9-Varney; 1-Fischetti, 2-Lucchesi, 3-Ceccarelli, 4-Cannone, 5-Ruzza, 6-Izekor, 7-Zuliani, 8-Lamaro (capt).

Replacement: 16-Nicotera, 17-Spagnolo, 18-Zilocchi, 19-Zambonin, 20-Vincent, 21-Page-Relo, 22-Allan, 23-Mori.

Image source, Inpho

Andy Farrell has made six changes to the side that beat France in Marseille.

Captain Peter O'Mahony is replaced by Ryan Baird. Caelan Doris takes the armband, becoming the 110th man to lead out the Irish in Test rugby.

Craig Casey starts at scrum-half ahead of Jamison Gibson-Park, while Stuart McCloskey comes in for Bundee Aki at inside centre.

Jack Conan starts at number eight, James Ryan replaces Tadhg Beirne in the second row and Finlay Bealham starts at tight-head prop instead of Tadhg Furlong.

Ireland: 15-Keenan; 14-Nash, 13-Henshaw, 12-McCloskey, 11-Lowe; 10-Crowley, 9-Casey; 1-Porter, 2-Sheehan, 3-Bealham, 4-McCarthy, 5-Ryan, 6-Baird, 7-Doris (capt), 8-Conan.

Replacements: 16-Kelleher, 17-Loughman, 18-O'Toole, 19-Henderson, 20-Van der Flier, 21-Gibson-Park, 22-Byrne, 23-Larmour.

Image source, Getty Images