Paul O'Connell leads favourites Ireland into the defence of their Six Nations title © Getty Images

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I always thought as a kid that when I grew up I would stop getting that sense of excitement when the Six Nations came around - well the Five Nations as I started watching in the 1970s - but surely age would dim that buzz? Not a chance!

On the eve of another championship I still get that same vibe: the one I had as a kid, the one I had as a player when I was playing in this great tournament and involved in the big matches and even now as a supporter, despite been involved at the sharp end in club rugby as a coach, you still sit back, watch and enjoy.

The start of the Championship has never changed, every team's dreams are intact, everyone will talk about how they have prepared as never before, how they are better than they were the previous year and how they will take the Championship by storm.

Each coach will go into the tournament with different levels of expectation surrounding them and their teams. For England, Wales, Ireland and France nothing other than winning is deemed good enough. Expectation breeds scrutiny and with that comes either elation or retribution.

Preview: Wales v England

Sam Warburton and Chris Robshaw will face off in Cardiff on Friday © Getty Images

• England have not lost consecutive opening matches of the Five/Six Nations Championship since 1987-88. They lost in Paris last year - will that fate befall them again in Cardiff?
• Read the full match preview here

For Scotland, under Vern Cotter, it is the start of a brand new era, their supporters will be looking for better things now but he will get time and in some ways he goes to France with nothing to lose as all the pressure is on French coach Philippe St Andre. Scotland, underpinned by positive performances in the autumn and improving clubs led by Glasgow, could do anything but they won't be expected to win the championship outright.

Some other things about the championship have not changed either, like wanting to get France early before they get in their stride. That cliché may not be as true as in the amateur days but don't tell me it is not in the back of the minds of both sets of players. It used be that Scotland would pull off a great win at Murrayfield in the opening game of the championship against a travel sick France. What money they can do that in Paris and use Vern Cotter's inspiration as the newbie coach with his knowledge of French rugby and storm Paris? On paper France should never lose a game but the sum of the parts is often greater than the individual talent and that is what Scotland will look to.

Friday night in Cardiff and the psychological battle lines will be drawn for the World Cup year ahead. An injury-ravaged England ride into town, the Welsh nation will await their arrival with expectation. If England win the boost to their squad morale will be incalculable, if Wales lose the damage to them could be huge, it is what tests coaches and player alike. But the fact is that while the championship may not be lost on Friday the Triple Crown and Grand Slam, which was what teams used be judged on, will be gone for one team.

As for this year's favourites for the championship, the defending Champions Ireland, they will face a torrid time in Rome. The question will be: can Italy keep up their intensity for 80 minutes against arguably the best coached side in the Six Nations?

Joe Schmidt's sides have a plan and know how to go about their business but this is the first championship without you know who and there are fitness doubts over Johnny Sexton and Jamie Heaslip heading into the next rounds. In the white heat of battle, without some key people anything can happen. The last great cliché is that Irish teams hate the favourites tag. Well Ireland carry that to Rome, and they have to match that with a performance against an Italian team that had a much improved autumn and will always be inspired at home.

They will look to continue their upward curve, inspired by one of the great No.8s in world rugby, Sergio Parisse. Italy at home will provide a stern test for anyone and Ireland's visit there could prove incredibly demanding first up.

So in a nutshell that is why I love this Championship. You can know the runners and riders, but over six weeks we will see ups and downs, teams hyped up and written off, but it will be the team that rides those waves of momentum within the matches and within the Championship that will end up on top.

Enjoy it, I certainly will and as it kicks off I will be brought back to my childhood, to the front room of my house in Dublin watching with my parents and my brothers, with a plate of sandwiches, some crisps and a glass of milk. I would not dare leave the room until the games were over.