GUINNESS SIX NATIONS
Ireland v Italy, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, 3pm
TV
The match is live on Virgin Media TV. Highlights on Against the Head, RTÉ2, Monday 8pm
ONLINE
We'll have a live match tracker on rte.ie/sport, the RTÉ News app, as well as updates on RTÉ Rugby Twitter and RTÉ Sport Facebook
RADIO
The game is live on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
WEATHER
Forecast says partly cloudy in Dublin, temperature around 11C. For more click here.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Italy arrive in Dublin looking for a first Six Nations win since 2015 – a victory over Scotland – that's a 34-game losing streak.
It has led to the usual debate about their place in the tournament.
In this week's RTÉ Rugby podcast, former Zebre coach and Ireland scrum-half Michael Bradley spoke with great insight about their predicament and if you haven't listened to it yet, do so.
While the team and management will have to pay their respects to Italy in the media, they’ll know they should win this at a canter, even if Andy Farrell has chosen to leave out some experienced heads. That in itself tells you that he knows they are on a different level.
Ireland beat Italy 48-10 last season and 50-17 the year before, and racked up 50-plus points in two of their three previous meetings.
The Irish side are well aware that, having lost to France, the title could well be won on points difference.
They, of course, require France to slip up in one of their remaining games in order for that to happen.
But Ireland must keep up their side of the bargain and will be aiming to better France’s winning margin (37-10) over the Azzurri on the opening day.
TEAM NEWS
Ireland make six changes with in-form full-back Michael Lowry coming in for regular Hugo Keenan, while there are first championship starts for Dan Sheehan and Ryan Baird.
Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe and Peter O'Mahony are the other changes.
Missing out entirely on squad selection from the Paris match are Keenan, Bundee Aki, Andrew Conway, Conor Murray, Jack Carty, Rónan Kelleher and James Ryan, with the latter two injured.
Italy have made three changes.
There's a Six Nations debut for Zebre’s Pierre Bruno on the right wing, while centre Leonardo Marin of Benetton has been handed his first tournament start, with club-mate Giovanni Pettinelli coming in at blindside flanker.
Treviso pair Marco Zanon and Braam Steyn start on the bench with Bordeaux winger Federico Mori out of the 23.
Ireland: Michael Lowry; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony (c), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Craig Casey, Johnny Sexton, James Hume.
Italy: Edoardo Padovani; Pierre Bruno, Juan Ignacio Brex, Leonardo Marin, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danillo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Pietro Ceccarelli; Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza; Giovanni Pettinelli, Michele Lamaro (c), Toa Halafihi.
Replacements: Epalahame Faiva, Ivan Nemer, Tiziano Pasquali, David Sisi, Manuel Zuliani, Braam Steyn, Alessandro Fusco, Marco Zanon.
OFFICIALS
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
WHAT THE COACHES SAID:
Andy Farrell: "Italy love throwing the ball around so they are excited about where they are going as well. At the same time it is about making sure that we get our ducks in a row and get off to the start we want and play at the tempo we want and be accurate and disciplined in our own game."
Kieran Crowley: "We have prepared the next meeting by focusing on the aspects of the game that did not satisfy us in the first two games. We face the next commitment with energy and the desire to improve. It will be a physically tough match against one of the strongest teams in the world."
On Saturday France beat Scotland 36-17 to maintain their Grand Slam bid, while England edged out Wales 23-19.
