THE usual large amount of Scandinavian forest has fallen, each media outlet's "expert" has done his Mystic Meg and made his forecast. Tonight, in front of a full-house in Cardiff, the 2015 Six Nations will kick-off.
As regards the opening match - can I reprise an old story?
Some years ago, back when OVD Rum were the competition's name sponsors, the Scottish Junior Cup Final came down to Glenafton Athletic being that year's nominee to try to keep the cup out of Auchinleck Talbot's Beechwood Park.
That it came down to an all-East Ayrshire final did not go down too-well elsewhere, and nowhere more-so than in Cumnock, the settlement between Auchinleck and New Cumnock. As part of a preview piece I was writing I sought the counsel of the late Jim Yates, a school contemporary of mine who, before he was taken tragically young, made a lot of money from his road haulage company, money which he squandered as long-time sponsor of Cumnock Juniors.
"What do you fancy for the final, Jim", I asked him.
"I fancy an atomic bomb, dropped on Firhill just as the match kicks-off to wipe the lot of them out," was Jim's response.
When I review the hype over tonight's Cardiff match - I can see where Jim was coming from. If I am ever asked to vote on which nation I would prefer to win a match, when the match is a rugby one, involving England and Wales, I would love to be able to vote: "Neither of the above".
With due reference to our dear friends in Australia, when it comes to being the World's Worst Winners, or indeed, the World's Worst Losers, for me, it usually comes down to a toss-up between the Common Enemy and the Taffia. I always take cognisance of the great Ian Kirkpatrick's dictum, when that great All Blacks captain remarked: "You never beat Wales - you only score more points than them".
Any way, enough of this procrastination - who's going to win the damned thing?
I fancy, given the injuries which England has suffered, and, with home advantage, that Wales will win tonight. As ever these days, however, much will depend on how the forward battle is refereed, and, how long Dylan Hartley can stay on the pitch.
As for tomorrow, I know it will be difficult, but, I cannot see Ireland losing to Italy in Rome. Finally, the most-difficult game to call; how will we Scots do in Paris?
Our record there isn't great, mind you where, even BT Murrayfield, is our recent record great? OK, BVC has started to turn our ship around, but, for tomorrow evening's match, I think it all comes down to the perennial question: which France will turn up?
If it's La Belle France, ready and able to play champagne rugby - we might as well have remained back in Edinburgh. If it;s the headless chicken France, wilting in the face of Parisien derision as they make error after error, then, I believe we will win.
We can get off to a winning start. I hope we do, but, I am unwilling to back this feeling with hard cash.
SINCE rugby went professional, our club game has been consistently under-rated and ill-used by the professionals running events from BT Murrayfield.
Tonight, at Netherdale, our Club XV - the best of our guys from the BT Premiership, take on their Irish counterparts for the Dalriada Cup. This match was originally scheduled for Old Anniesland, but, a frozen pitch has necessitated the switch to Gala.
I don't necessarily agree with all 15 of coach Phil Smith's selections, but, I think we can win tonight, and certainly hope we do. Phil has been an excellent coach for Heriot's and he deserves the chance to show what he can do with the Club XV - who will certainly get a good lead from captain Ross Curle.
I AM not so confident as regards the prospects of our other two national teams in action this weekend - the Under-20s and the Ladies. Damage limitation might well be the order of the day for both as they take-on their French counterparts.
I NOTE, with some concern, an article in one of today's newspapers, regarding the Kebab Shop Punch-Up.
Glasgow Hawks have, probably rightly, been left feeling their man Ally McLay has not received proper recompense for the injuries he sustained, there are suggestions coming out of Old Anniesland that, maybe, Ryan Wilson got off lightly.
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. However, Ryan now has a criminal record, he has been hit very hard in the pocket: a £750 fine, loss of wages for three months, his legal bill to pay.
It might have been better had Hawks spoken sharply to Warriors and the SRU about the indiscipline of their players, and kept the matter within the Scottish rugby family - rather than allowing a journalist who is mainly a football writer, to splash it all over the paper.
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