Canada skip Brad Jacobs completes the simple draw to take two points from the first end. Not the best start for GB, but at one stage it looked like it could have been three or four. The hammer changes hands, second end already under way.

BBC Radio 5 live

Great Britain women's skip Eve Muirhead on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I would not like to be in this position that Dave's got himself in. It's been one of those ends! The Canadian team are super aggressive."

Steve Cram
BBC Sport curling commentator

"The only thing the Canadians fear, and they don't fear much, is the shot-making ability of Britain's David Murdoch."

Harsh noise of granite on ice as Murdoch looks to blow three red stones out of the house. Slidey, slidey. Pace. "Haaarrrrrddddd!" Brilliant from Murdoch. Two pushed away. Canada still have the chance for two points, but it could have much worse.

Lizzy Yarnold, Team GB women's skeleton gold medallist, ‏tweets:, external On my way to the Ice Cube! Good luck lads, hold nothing back.

Worried looks on GB faces. Murdoch has pushed two red stones away, but Canada have two in hand to Murdoch's one.

The Duke of York (yes, him) tweets:, external My team supporting Team GB #lovecurling. Good luck today!

Not the best start from GB. Greg Drummond catches the guard at the front of the house. Canada have three red stones around the button, which Ryan Fry adds to with a fourth. Plenty for GB skip Dave Murdoch to do with his two stones.

Steve Cram
BBC Sport curling commentator

"I'm not sure the Canadians have won too many friends in this Olympic campaign. But they insist the intensity with which they play is just their style..."

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Brothers Ryan and EJ Harnden are in the Canada team. Ryan has been curling since the age of four and always drinks a special drink he concocts called a blue lagoon before he plays... Not sure what's in it but it's served him well so far."

Canada's Buff Boys have what you'd call a 'confrontational' style. Big chat, fist-pumping, brash calls from the scoring area. Britain are more workmanlike, few words before the brushes get going. There's silence in the Ice Cube as each stone sets off down the 45m or so, punctuated by applause as granite hits granite. Two stones apiece in the house.

Read more about curling on our cheat sheet

Ally Siu:, external Come on Team GB, curl them off the ice!

Lizzie Warriner:, external Right, Team Murdoch. I'm sat ready and waiting to cheer you on. Come on guys, you can do this. Bring the gold medal home.

Right then, just in case there's any confusion, we play 10 ends, each consisting of eight stones - two per man. You score points by having stones closer to the centre of the house than your opponents. The 'hammer' is the advantage of the final stone, which you concede if you score. Got that? Early stages of the first end, one stone each in the centre of the house.

Jackie Lockhart
2002 world curling gold medallist on BBC TV

"This is a one-chance game. The winner takes home that gold, shiny medal. The silver will be a consolation, but both these teams desperately want that gold Olympic medal. I'm looking forward to what should be a very, very exciting game, and let's hope we see some fantastic shot-making."

Image source, Getty Images

Introductions for GB, dressed in white T-shirts, then a few warm-up slides down the ice. It's Britain to get us under way - Canada have the hammer in the first end. Away we go....

The teams are being introduced. Canada, the Buff Boys as they are known, wearing black and led by Brad Jacobs. Jacobs was also in the Men of Curling calendar. He's no Murdoch, though, is he? Score one for GB.

Image source, Getty Images

GB curler Greg Drummond on BBC One: "The support from home's been fantastic. The whole nation is talking about curling and that's great for our sport.

Team-mate Michael Goodfellow: "The final will need great concentration and intensity. We'll take each shot as it comes and hopefully we'll come away with the win."

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

"The fans have started to trickle in and David Murdoch's family are one of the first in their seats and have been hanging out the Union Flag bunting.

"Although Canada are the defending champions, none of this current team played in Vancouver in 2010. Last year they were runners-up in the World Championship, losing to Sweden."

Dave Murdoch on BBC One: "That we're finally here after putting in so much work with these guys is a dream come true. We'll go out there to win the game, our curling match. Knowing you've got the whole nation supporting you is just great.

"I hope today goes down to the last stone - we've won a couple already that went down to the wire. We'll do everything we can, we'll fight to the absolute last, and hopefully again we'll have that shot to win."

And these are the men looking to bring curling gold back to Britain. Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews, Michael Goodfellow and skip Dave Murdoch, who, by the way, featured in the 2013 Men of Curling calendar. What would the Lawrences, Jackson and Welsh made of that?

Image source, Getty Images