Italy welcome Wales to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday as two European titans seek to inject some early pace into their 2017 Six Nations campaign in the closing fixture of Week 1.
The matchup will also see a new coaching contest emerge as Conor O'Shea begins his first Six Nations in charge of Italy, while Rob Howley will continue in a caretaker role for Wales during Warren Gatland's hiatus from the position.
The Azzurri have plenty of motivation to get the better of their British foes this time around after suffering a 67-14 hammering at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff last year, where they conceded an embarrassing nine tries.
Wales have defeated Italy in their last 10 meetings and will be angling for an 11th consecutive victory this Sunday, although Rome is always a tricky setting for visiting teams.
Read on for a preview of Sunday's Stadio Olimpico showdown, complete with all the essential viewing information to ensure you don't miss out on the Six Nations drama.
Date: Sunday, February 5
Time: 2 p.m. GMT/9 a.m. ET
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK)
TV Info: ITV (UK)
Rob Howley's Captain Conundrum
With Gatland out of the picture due to British and Irish Lions tour commitments, Howley will take on coaching duties for the second Six Nations campaign of his career, having previously led the team in a successful 2013 run.
An assortment of selection dilemmas have presented themselves to the tactician—who is usually assistant to Gatland—although Sam Warburton's relinquishing of the captaincy is perhaps the biggest change that's occurred ahead of this year's tournament.
In his place, lock veteran Alun Wyn Jones has stepped in to take the armband, and Warburton—who was in the role for an impressive five-year span—recently said the team's leadership is in good hands, per Sky Sports:
"Alun Wyn is a vastly experienced player and he has more experience than me at international level. He knows I am there for him whenever he wants, but he's been and seen pretty much everything in this game. That is what makes him such a great candidate to be captain for this campaign.
"The role he has played probably won't change too much, really, because he has had such a massive influence on the squad since I have been captain.
"All he has to do is keep doing what he is doing, then all he does is take the armband on to that field when it is Test match time. For Alun, I think it will be a nice smooth transition. He will be able to cope with that fine."
Warburton isn't the only one who has major respect for Jones, either, after former Ireland rival Paul O'Connell told BBC 5 live Sport of the impact he gives Wales in all aspects:
Howley has also made a big call in dropping out-of-form centre Jamie Roberts to the bench in place of Scott Williams, while Leigh Halfpenny has kept his place at full-back and Liam Williams remains on the Wales wing.
Some new faces in the squad include the likes of Ospreys playmaker Sam Davies and Cardiff Blues lock Cory Hill, with a new wave of young guns slowly replacing the older guard under Howley's watch.
Conor O'Shea Italian Reign Under Way
Despite taking over the team in June of last year, only now will former Harlequins coach O'Shea really start to gather any momentum in charge of Italy, and what better place to start than in a Six Nations championship?
Despite his best efforts, coaching predecessor Jacques Brunel left the Azzurri in something of a poor state, and O'Shea recently told ESPN Scrum's Tom Hamilton of the major challenge he's found himself faced with:
"There's so much to do, it is a big job. There's a lot to change. There are so many positives about rugby in this country and so many things that need to change to fulfil the potential. We're going to start putting together the structures -- but there's a short, medium and long-term plan.
"In the short term, we are making sure we're more competitive. In the medium term, we want to get to the Rugby World Cup and ensure we're a team no one wants to play, like the Argentina team I played against in 1999. That team signified the start of a new generation but they experienced great days and tough days."
Argentina, as mentioned by O'Shea, are a prime example of a team that have embraced rugby over the past two decades and are reaping the benefits alongside the southern hemisphere's other powerhouses.
Italy have had their own share of highlights down the years, too—albeit few and far between against the Welsh—and BBC ScrumV recently shared footage of the Azzurri's most recent win over Wales in the 2007 Six Nations:
It was during that fixture that warhorses such as Mauro Bergamasco, Sergio Parisse and Ramiro Pez shone a beacon for Italy, but O'Shea will be relying on a new cast of characters to get the job done during his reign.
Alongside veteran coaches Mike Catt and Brendan Venter, O'Shea certainly has the experience and nous to succeed, but it's a responsibility that ultimately lies with the players to stage a shock in Rome.