Ronan O'Gara
Former Ireland fly-half speaking on BBC One

It's a big step up for Simon [Easterby] but he has previous experience of coaching Scarlets as a head coach. People underestimate that.

It was new yet it wasn't new to him.

England put it up to Ireland for 40 minutes [last week] then Ireland scored 22 unanswered points, which shows how ruthless they are.

Beating England at home is a good start, but it's very hard to win in the Six Nations away from home.

As you'd expect, there's a grand old turnout for one of the competition's marquee matches.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has played down any animosity that exists between the teams this week, suggesting the rivalry is exaggerated by the Irish media.

The Scots have not beaten Ireland during Townsend's reign as head coach, but Townsend says today's match carries no more significance for his side than any other in the Six Nations.

"Teams want to build up something to provide extra motivation, so maybe it's more on the Irish side or the Irish media side that there's this rivalry or needle to give them extra motivation on why they want to win again," Townsend said earlier this week.

"Obviously they've won this fixture a number of times but we say this every game, we respect Ireland a lot, admire what they've done over the last few years, but it doesn't stand out as a needle game for us."

Aye, pull the other one Gregor.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland at Murrayfield

I conducted a social media poll among my small army of followers who, admittedly, are overwhelmingly Scottish rugby fans.

64% are predicting a Scotland win, 32% fancy Ireland and 4% are backing the draw.

I suspect that 64% voted in hope rather than expectation because the fans I spoke to outside Murrayfield are very nervous.

The record against Ireland is dreadful but the run of defeats has to end some time, and with England blowing the tournament wide open with their victory over France, today is as good a time as any.

It's fork in the road time for Scotland. Win and they can kick on for Twickenham in two weeks time with genuine belief they can have a crack at the Six Nations title.

Lose and another campaign of disappointment beckons.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI at Murrayfield

There was barely a soul inside the place at 13:15 GMT as Ireland's Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher and Hugo Keenan get an early feel of the pitch, the first ones out.

Hookers Sheehan and Kelleher both went off injured in Ireland's last visit here. Wonder if that got a wee mention.

Ireland wing Mack Hansen was ruled out of the game on Saturday with a hamstring injury and has been replaced by Calvin Nash.

In two other changes from the side that beat England, 35-year-old former captain Peter O'Mahony replaces Ryan Baird in the back row and Robbie Henshaw comes in for Garry Ringrose at outside centre.

Sam Prendergast is again given the nod at fly-half with Jack Crowley to be used off the bench.

Ireland: Keenan, Nash, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe, Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham, Ryan, Beirne; O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Clarkson, Baird, Conan, Murray, Crowley, Ringrose.

Image source, Getty Images

It was a bumper day of action in the Six Nations yesterday.

You can watch highlights of England's dramatic late victory against France and Italy's win over Wales below.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend makes three changes from the side that defeated Italy, with Tom Jordan making his first Six Nations start at inside centre, Rory Sutherland coming in at loose-head prop and Jack Dempsey at number eight.

Matt Fagerson switches to blindside flanker to accommodate Dempsey's return, while Pierre Schoeman, Jamie Ritchie and Stafford McDowell drop to the bench.

Lock Sam Skinner and scrum-half Jamie Dobie are included among the replacements, with George Horne and Kyle Rowe missing out.

Scotland: Kinghorn, Graham, Jones, Jordan, Van der Merwe, Russell, White; Sutherland, Cherry, Z. Fagerson, Gray, Gilchrist, M. Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Ashman, Schoeman, Hurd, Skinner, Brown, Ritchie, Dobie, McDowall.

Scotland welcome Ireland to Edinburgh this afternoon in a mouth-watering Six Nations encounter.

Both teams won their tournament openers last weekend, and both know that a win here boosts their hopes of winning the whole thing no end.

Ireland have won their last 10 matches against Scotland. Can Gregor Townsend's side stop that particular record, or will it be yet more Irish joy in the Scottish capital?

Kick-off is an hour away, so we'll soon find out. Strap in folks...

Image source, Getty Images