Ireland v Italy LIVE: Six Nations 2024 score and result as hosts secure comfortable second win

It looks a pleasant enough afternoon in Dublin, cool and dry with the sun just starting to tumble as the day lengthens. It’ll be fascinating to see how this Ireland midfield clicks - Jack Crowley, Stuart McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw won’t necessarily have worked together that often as a trio, and Italy’s centre pairing functioned nicely against England last week.

We had, by the way, been due to welcome Pierre Brousset into the Six Nations fold today, with the French referee set for a competition debut with the whistle. But a calf injury suffered ahead of the tournament has not recovered sufficiently to allow Brousset to take charge, leaving Luke Pearce to step in and oversee a 50th Test.

He’s joined by an otherwise all-French team in Dublin with the TMO bunker system in place, as it will be throughout this Six Nations.

Ireland vs Italy match officials

Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)

ARs: Mathieu Raynal (Fra) & Luc Ramos (Fra)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Italy may have impressed last week but are yet to win on Irish soil during the Six Nations era, a reminder of the task in front of them today. Their sole victory over Ireland in 24 championship matches was a 22-15 Stadio Olimpico success in 2013. Mercurial full-back Ange Capuozzo is back from illness to strengthen the visitors. Yet new head coach Gonzalo Quesada has lost influential back-row forwards Sebastian Negri and Lorenzo Cannone due to injury. Ireland are overwhelming favourites to register a 17th consecutive home win, dating back to 2021. It will be some story if Italy somehow defy the odds.

Head coach Farrell raised some eyebrows by selecting rookie lock Joe McCarthy ahead of James Ryan and Iain Henderson at Stade Velodrome. But the hulking 22-year-old more than justified that decision with a dominant display which saw him voted championship player of round one. McCarthy’s Six Nations debut suggests he will star in Ireland’s second row for many years to come. He will be partnered by recalled provincial team-mate Ryan on Sunday. The 27-year-old Leinster co-captain, who comes in for Tadhg Beirne, will no doubt be desperate to give a reminder of his talents, having gone from possible new Ireland skipper to fighting for a regular starting spot.

Caelan Doris was urged to be himself by former Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton after being handed the “pretty cool honour” of captaining his country against Italy.

Leinster back-rower Doris will lead the reigning Grand Slam champions into today’s Guinness Six Nations match in Dublin following a calf injury to Peter O’Mahony.

The 25-year-old sought advice from Sexton, who retired after last year’s World Cup, and current international team-mates O’Mahony, Iain Henderson and James Ryan, having received news of his temporary appointment from head coach Andy Farrell on Tuesday.

Gonzalo Quesada is forced to remodel his back row for the second match of his time in charge of Italy, with Sebastian Negri and Lorenzo Cannone both absent. Alessandro Izekor will make his first Test start on the blindside while Manuel Zuliani’s promotion sees captain Michele Lamaro shift into the number eight shirt.

Stephen Varney replaces Alessandro Garbisi at scrum half and Ange Capuozzo is able to return after missing the England defeat due to illness, with Tommaso Allan dropping on to the bench. Exeter number eight Ross Vintcent could make his debut after being named among the replacements.

Italy XV: 1 Danilo Fischetti, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 3 Pietro Ceccarelli; 4 Niccolo Cannone, 5 Federico Ruzza; 6 Alessandro Izekor, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 8 Michele Lamaro (capt.); 9 Stephen Varney, 10 Paolo Garbisi; 11 Monty Ioane, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 14 Lorenzo Pani; 15 Ange Capuozzo.

Replacements: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosue Zilocchi, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Ross Vintcent; 21 Martin Page-Relo, 22 Tommaso Allan, 23 Federico Mori.

Ireland make a number of changes as Andy Farrell uses this fixture as an opportunity to look at some fresh combinations and rest a couple of senior figures. Caelan Doris captains his country for the first time and shifts to the openside, with Jack Conan in at number eight and Ryan Baird completing the back row. Finlay Bealham starts on the tighthead, and James Ryan replaces Tadhg Beirne alongisde Joe McCarthy.

In the backs, Craig Casey should replicate Jamison Gibson-Park’s zip at the base and Stuart McCloskey comes in to midfield, where Garry Ringrose is not yet fit and Bundee Aki has been given a week off.

Ireland XV: 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Finlay Bealham; 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 James Ryan; 6 Ryan Baird, 7 Caelan Doris, 8 Jack Conan; 9 Craig Casey, 10 Jack Crowley; 11 James Lowe, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 14 Calvin Nash; 15 Hugo Keenan.

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Tom O’Toole, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Josh van der Flier; 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Jordan Larmour.

Righty ho, kick off is little more than an hour away in Dublin - let’s take a closer look at the two teams set to do battle this afternoon.

Fly-half Paolo Garbisi believes Italy are ready for the “most difficult match in world rugby” and expects facing Ireland to be twice as tough as taking on England.

The Azzurri meet the reigning Guinness Six Nations champions in Dublin after beginning their campaign with a narrow 27-24 loss to Steve Borthwick’s side in Rome.

Ireland are overwhelming favourites for victory at a sold-out Aviva Stadium to keep themselves on course for back-to-back Grand Slam titles following a five-try demolition of France.

Montpellier man Garbisi, who acknowledges his country have been underdogs in almost every match since joining the championship in 2000, is braced for a significant test.

Right, we’ve got loads more reaction and analysis to all of yesterday’s fun across The Independent, but it’s high time we switched our focus more fully to today’s proceedings. Andy Farrell is hoping for a great reception for his side as Ireland return to the comforts of home for the first time since their World Cup heartbreak.