The oldest, best and most envied international rugby tournament in the world kicks off on Saturday.

And, for the first time in more than a decade, I won't be in the commentary box. But at least I will be warm.

While it will still take a lot to convince me that you can't beat being there, especially when 'there' is one of the great cathedrals of rugby with two old enemies going at it hammer and tongs in front of a packed, passionate, colourful and, above all, noisy crowd, I am more than happy to join those for whom a fire-side, arm-chair view of the Six Nations Championship is the perfect antidote to freezing February.

For all who push for playing the tournament in the warmer weather of spring, there is an equal number who would argue that it has found the perfect spot in the calendar.

Christmas has come and gone, spring is still a fair way off and there are precious few other sporting events to divert the concentration and precious few other leisure activities that cannot be put on hold for five of the next seven weekends.

While Italy's inclusion at the start of this century has meant that the old Five Nations championship has woken up to the joy of six, the new format has been compressed into a shorter time-frame. Matches used to be staged at fortnightly intervals and, with an odd number of teams playing, it sometimes meant that one set of fans would have to go a month before they could see their team play again.

Now, though, all six teams are in action on each of the five weekends, with the first two rounds played on successive weekends, the third sandwiched by two gap weekends, and the final two rounds played back-to-back.

Kick-off times have been spread around the weekend but what's good for the arm-chair viewer is not necessarily good for the travelling support. Sunday evening matches are bad enough, but while the experiment of kicking-off the France-Wales match at 9pm on a Friday may be good for French television, it could produce well-nigh insuperable problems for Wales fans trying to get to Paris at the end of this month.

And while the compressed format may be good for the likes of England and France, who struggle to squeeze their own national leagues into a crowded calendar, it's not so good for the lesser nations, such as Italy.

With next to no strength in depth, the Azzurri know that even one injury to a player in a key position can completely derail their campaign.

Last year, for instance, they were so short of cover at fly-half that they had to play their best centre at number 10. This year all their scrum-halves are crocked and they've installed outstanding flanker Mauro Bergamasco at the base of the scrum for this weekend's opener against England at Twickenham.

This lack of depth makes Italy favourite to finish bottom of this season's Six Nations, but after that all bets are off. Wales, Grand Slam-winning champions last season, the only side to defeat a southern hemisphere side this season, and with IRB World Player of the Year Shane Williams at the peak of his powers, are the bookmakers' choice. But Ireland, buoyed by the Heineken Cup successes of leading provinces Munster and Leinster, also have their backers.

Scotland, whose only championship win last season was against England at Murrayfield, are improving fast and while France and England have such large playing resources and such competitive domestic leagues to call on, the dips in form that both are experiencing are likely to be shallow.

And England, who despite all the doom-laden outpourings finished second last season, have this time around the advantage of three home fixtures – as well as opening against Italy this Saturday, they close their campaign with back-to back matches at Twickenham against France and Scotland.

If opening games are important for setting the tone for a season, away matches are key to its ultimate success.

So, while England know that if they are to have a chance in successive matches in Cardiff and Dublin they need to win convincingly against Italy this weekend, Wales know that their season could come crashing round their ears if they allow themselves to be mugged at Murrayfield by Scotland, and Ireland will be only too well aware that the last time the French came to Dublin, they won.

When it comes to the Six Nations, it pays to take nothing for granted.