The sun is shining, easter eggs are on sale; proof that spring is here.

Brian O’Driscoll, however, is in the winter of his career and we’re at the Aviva Stadium today for his final international bow in front of adoring home fans.

Okay, let’s get the lion’s share of  the sentimentality and tears out of the the way before kick-off.

All cried out? Good. Now here is the full cast and crew lining up for today’s crucial Six Nations clash.

Ireland: R Kearney, A Trimble, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney; J Sexton, C Murray: C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, P O’Connell (Capt.), I Henderson, C Henry, J Heaslip.

Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore, R Ruddock, J Murphy, E Reddan, P Jackson, F McFadden.

In case you’re not near  TV to see Shane Horgan interview his old team-mate, here’s some light reading to take you up to the big kick-off.

We spoke to Iain Henderson after he was awarded just his second starting berth in the Ireland XV

Former hooker Shane Byrne had his say on today’s big game and the potential distractions in his column this morning.

And if it’s a little extra tactical insight you’re after, we picked the brain of defence coach Les Kiss after yesterday’s Captain’s Run to find out just how the Azzuri can be broken down.

Right, the warm-ups are over and done, the teams have headed for the changing rooms and the red carpet is rolled out. It must be prediction time.

Personally, I feel only complacency (and possibly the temptation to set up a Brian O’Driscoll try) can stop Ireland from running up a big score. So I’m sticking my neck out and calling this one:  40 – 9.

Italy are on the field…

Wow, a pretty stirring moment as Brian O’Driscoll is introduced to minimal fanfare on the day of his 140th Test cap.

He stands alone, loosens up and the rest of the team follows him onto the field greeted by the usual fireworks.

The camera will linger on O’Driscoll during our anthems. He was definitely a touch emotional when the camera panned to him a second ago.

O'Driscoll let out a big exhale after the anthems. RTE RTE

Well, that was tough going.

Right, let’s play some rugby then shall we? Italy will get us underway.

KICK-OFF: 

Orquera kicks into the 22 and Trimble takes. Good strong early carry and Ireland are over the gainline.

A lot of expectancy around the ground, but three minutes in the patience Joe Schmidt advised looks well-prescribed. Jonny Sexton has put in a poor opening kick, but the follow up pinned Italy in and Ireland have the ball in midfield and look to attack.

Conor Murray is keeping Ireland carrying into tight exchanges, Trimble makes a half break with BOD waiting, marked, to his left.

They rumble on patiently until a poor pass is let down by O’Connell. Orquera briefly thinks his luck his in, but play is called back.

TRY! Ireland 7 – 0 Italy (Sexton ‘ 7)

We’re with the TMO for a body check after Sexton, but that score came off the back of a beautiful set plau off the back of a scrum 30 metres out. The line-break from Sexton and Racing Metro’s man steps and dots down six weeks before his club think he’ll be fit again.

He adds the conversion for good measure.

Well, as if that wasn’t a big enough hammer blow for Italy. Martin Castrogiovanni has gone off injured, replaced by Lorenzo Cittadini. If Ireland can ramp up the intensity now, Italy don’t look capable of coming anywhere close.

Breakdown penalty advantage and Italy attack on turnover ball. Trimble misses his tackle, but forces his Sarto inside and into traffic.

A  worrying phase of play, but not as worrying as the line-out systems failure that followed. Thankfully, Ireland soon win the ball back and kick clear.

Ah, it’s scrappy down there to be honest. Murray picks up well after a failed grubber, but perhaps he just attempted to force the instant counter a bit early and Italy are in possession and on the attack again.

Campagnaro breaks on the right side of our 22, they secure the ball and move it inside, but Rory Best is there to poach.

Sexton. Brilliant.

The 10 is again the man who finds a line-break and he hits Heaslip with a switch pass and he in turn allows Trimble to go on a jinking run in and out of blue defenders. He’s taken down on 22, but there are enough of them to cover back and clear the lines back to around their own 10-metre line.

Conor Murray is off, his last act of the game a superb effort to salvage a ball loose at the ruck.

His pass falls just short of the captain, but the scrum-half is hurt and hobbles to the line with Eoin Reddan on in his place.

Reddan makes an immediate impact on the game, involving O’Connell in a loop play before attempting to dink a kick to Trimble in the right corner.

He just catches too much meat on the ball and it bounces out before the wing can get there.

We’ve just seen a replay of Murray’s injury. It was a bad landing after rising to claim a high ball, not the play we initially thought caused the injury.

Accuracy is a word we’ve heard an awful lot of since Joe Schmidt arrived on these shores and that is precisely what his team is lacking at crucial moments today.

The latest attack, on the Italy five-metre line, ended by a knock on and the Azzuri again attempt to attack on the counter.

Accuracy is a word we’ve heard an awful lot of since Joe Schmidt arrived on these shores and that is precisely what his team is lacking at crucial moments today.

The latest attack, on the Italy five-metre line, ended by a knock on and the Azzuri again attempt to attack on the counter.

TRY! Ireland 7 – 7 Italy (Sarto ’24)

An awful try to concede. Rob Kearney will not be looking forward to the replays after a big hut from Trimble forced an Italian spill.

Again, the Azzuri are first to the bounce and they raid down Trimble’s side. Kearney seems to have the angle on Sarto, but ends up lunging in hope of an ankle tap and misses.

Orquera adds the extras from in front of the post.

The more phases that come, the less clinical Ireland become. Off first-phase set-plays, however, they look really dangerous.

Eoin Reddan is the man this time peeling off the back of the scrum and getting stopped just before the line. This time Italy spoil rather than Ireland spilling and Sexton has a chance to give the home side the lead again.

PENALTY: Ireland 10 – 7 Italy (Sexton ’31)

Italy won’t be cowed here. Luke McLean finds and exploits a big gap inside Paul O’Connell and invades the centre of the green 22. The cover is there to bring him down and Tebaldi knocks on at the base of the ruck. Scrum green, 33 minutes played.

‘Go and get the test’, says Nigel Owens after Paul Derbyshire gets up looking woozy from the turf. Good advice for a clearly concussed player.

Italy atack well off the line-out, but Henry forces a turnover and Ireland again launch a thrilling counter-attack move with O’Driscoll giving Kearney a reverse pass at the 10 and the full-back jinks his way inside the 22.

The ball is spun out from O’Driscoll to D’Arcy, the centre dances inside and BOD arches over, but D’Arcy hasn’t moved since he was tackled. Seriously worrying scene. Play continues with him receiving treatment and…

TRY! Ireland 15 – Italy (Trimble ‘ 38)

Fergus McFadden will come into the game in place of D’Arcy.

That was a bizarre scene with O’Driscoll side-stepping his stricken midfield partner to pass wide where Trimble capitalised on the confusion.

Sexton added the conversion.

Ireland 17 – 7 Italy

And that’s half-time.

Here is that clinical set-play that brought the opening try. Perfect example of how O’Driscoll’s role in the team has changed, Sexton acting as a strike runner with the centre at first receiver.

Dropkick Murphy’s is blaring out, so you know the teams are back out.

Just a quick reminder before the second half, here’s how the table looked before kick-off. Ireland’s points difference currently stands at 52.

The half starts with Paul Derbyshire (back after somehow passing the concussion tests) getting his bind all wrong on a maul.

Ireland set up another maul in the opposition half, but the chip chase is called back for offside.

Turnover penalty by… who do you think. Brian O’Driscoll on his feet at the ruck and forces the decision from Owens. Sexton kicks up towards the 22 metre line.

Big chance for Ireland to attack here.

Fight. Fight. Fight.

We’re not sure what started this tussle after advantage ran out on an Ireland, penalty , but O’Connell appeared to finish up with Bortolami in a bear hug.

Here’s the TMO to give us a good gawk at it.

Two captains having a good old roll around there. O’Connell is pushed while he’s prone on the ground, but he ensures the two of them end up in a mud-less wrestle.

Penalty against Tebaldi for coming in with a swinging arm on O’Connell.

Ireland pass up the easy three and go for the corner.

It’s MAULING TIME!

Or not, because Italy were able to sack the attempted drive before it got started. Ireland aim to rumble through the phases, but the ball gets killed and we have a scrum blue 10 metres from the Italian line.

That scrum went well and Italy are on the back foot as McLean is asked to clear and he can only reach the 22.

Plumtree-ball again.

Arch-finisher Andy Trimble is well covered after D’Arcy sprays a pass his way. Ireland come back inside and aim for the tight phases again after a penalty award and Cian Healy gets over the line with a little leeching help from his friend Paul O’Connell.

TRY! Ireland 22 – 7 Italy (Healy ’54)

Healy hobbled away after that score. So Schmidt begins to empty the bench with Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin (for Best) and Rhys Ruddock in a straight swap for Iain Henderson.

After Dave Kearney finds a gap, Ireland work the ball in-field and set up Devin Toner for his first big carry of the day. The big lock is hit hard, and the ball spurts out.

Marty Moore is on to make it an all new front row. Mike Ross, Rory Best and Cian Healy hit the ice bags and can start to think of Paris.

O’Driscoll takes a brilliant inside pass and sidesteps Derbyshire. Italy’s drift is effective though and BOD ends up running backwards before his attempted pass is knocked on by a blue hand.

We’re getting close the final act now. Hubes on the big screen as O’Driscoll rises after some brief treatment.

TRY! Ireland 27 – 7 Italy (Sexton ’60)

Wow. Brian O’Driscoll just added another big play to the highlight reel. Stepping beautifully before flinging a back-handed offload out the wing where Sexton and the Kearney boys combined to put this result beyond doubt.

Sexton misses the conversion, but Lansdowne Road is on its feet.

Brian O’Driscoll leaves the field to a standing ovation. The master, the legend, the greatest; BOD will never play for Ireland on home soil again.

It was Fergus McFadden coming on in his place there, by the by.

Paddy Jackson replaces man-of-the-match shoe in Jonathan Sexton.

Sadly, the departure of O’Driscoll has give some people think it’s okay to Mexican Wave their way through the last quarter. Paddy Jackson has played well since his introduction probing the blue defence and bringing play up to the 22 where his pack win a penalty.

TRY! Ireland 32 – 7 Italy (Cronin ’68)

Jackson nails the conversion after Cronin sneaked into the corner after strong carry from Henry and Ruddock dragged defenders infield.

70 mins: Ireland 34 – 7 Italy

It’s gotta be weird for the players on the field now. They’re virtually a sideshow. The cheer for BOD on the big screen is almost equal to that which followed Cronin’s touchdown.

Jordi Murphy is the last man off the bench. His second cap will last six minutes. Chris Henry’s work here is done.

Penalty just inside Ireland’s half and Eoin Reddan does what he does best, quick-tapping the penalty and forcing another from the non-retreating defenders.

Jackson lands an absolute beauty into the corner to set up a line-out.

TRY! Ireland 41 – 7 Italy (McFadden ‘ 78)

McFadden finds a gap in front of the posts and the tacklers fail to get anything solid on him.

As BOD is named man of the match, McFadden races onto a Jackson grubber.

Points difference is very much in mind now….

TRY! Ireland 46 – 7 Italy (McGrath ’81)

Could that be crucial? Ireland lay siege to the line and McGrath sneaks over. A huge 39 point win for Ireland.

FULL-TIME: Ireland 46 – 7 Italy 

O’Driscoll is being interviewed on-field, but we can’t here him as the acclaim rains down from the stand.

“One more year” they chant, but the only encore will be in Paris next week.

Nobody has left the Aviva, but we’re gonna close off this liveblog before BOD departs the scene.

Thanks a million for joining in with our liveblog. It’s been an emotional day (and it’s not over), but most importantly Ireland have won the game and amassed a points difference of 81 for the rest to try and chase.

As the great man once said “Bring. It. On.”