The Six Nations is not a tournament that needs any extra billing, but in World Cup year it is impossible not to look for clues of how the teams involved are shaping up.
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Ireland enter the tournament as favourites, and rightly so, as they look to defend the championship title outright for the first time since 1949.
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Joe Schmidt has done an outstanding job since taking over from Declan Kidney, leading his side not only to last year’s Six Nations crown but also ensuring the retirement of Brian O’Driscoll was not allowed to derail their progress.
Consequently all three of Ireland’s autumn internationals were won, and as they approach this year’s championship the men in green are ranked third in the world.
But while Schmidt’s side are seen as the team to beat, the tag of favourites is not one that sits entirely comfortably.
Their affable Kiwi coach has labelled it a “distraction”, and while that attitude may surprise some Irish supporters, he has cause to be cautious with the involvement of his star player, Jonathan Sexton, in some doubt.
Sexton, the northern hemisphere’s stand-out fly-half last year, is in the midst of a stand-down period having picked up four concussions in 2014, and will not be eligible until the day before Ireland’s second game, against France.
Ian Madigan has been Schmidt’s preferred back up No10, but has found minutes hard to come by in that position for Leinster and was unable to inspire the Irish Wolfhounds past England Saxons in Cork last Friday.
That game did give Sean O’Brien, Cian Healy and Iain Henderson some vital game-time and fortunately for Schmidt, Ireland can ease themselves into the tournament with a relatively comfortable opening assignment in Rome.
That is not an option for either Wales or England, who kick off the championship with a mouth-watering clash in Cardiff on Friday night.
Mind games are never far away when these two sides meet, and with a World Cup meeting to come, they started earlier than ever this year.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has delighted in fanning the flames, initially goading England over the Millennium Stadium’s roof and then naming his side for the clash a full 48 hours ahead of schedule.
Stuart Lancaster and his coaching staff have done their best to brush off the conjecture emanating from over the Severn Bridge, and indeed Gatland’s team held no surprises.
The same cannot be said for England, who have seen their squad decimated by injuries. Some good news has arrived with Dan Cole’s return to fitness, and Lancaster will hope the likes of Chris Robshaw, George Ford and Jonny May can keep his side in contention before they head to Dublin on March 1.
Robshaw, George Ford and Jonny May can keep his side in contention before they head to Dublin on March 1.
France arrive at Twickenham on the final weekend, and it is impossible to rule out the possibility of that clash having a say on the destination of the championship.
For all the talk of a diminishing talent pool, Philippe Saint-Andre has picked a squad packed full of ability, from captain Thierry Dusautoir, to fly-half Camille Lopez and wing Yoann Huget.
Yes, they must travel to England and Ireland but they face Wales and Scotland in Paris.
The Scots, though, are bouncing ahead of their trip to the Stade de France on Saturday and look set to make this a five-way fight.
Vern Cotter has brought excitement back into the camp and the work done by Gregor Townsend with the Glasgow Warriors could be about to bear fruit internationally.
Unfortunately, that would mean Italy facing the possibility of being cut adrift at the bottom.
The Azzurri are not expected to pull up any trees, but with four centurions in their squad hardly represent pushovers either, and will be hoping to catch Ireland off guard on Saturday.
If they did, it would be a fitting start to what promises to be an open six weeks.
