Come Sunday, the leeks and red shirts will be out in force, pints of Brains in hands, filling the Cardiff streets, with good-humoured expectancy. Mingling amongst them, supping the Guinness, will be a fair number of shamrocks and green shirts. Yes, the Six Nations rugby championship begins again this weekend.

Strictly speaking, the tournament starts on Saturday when Italy take on France and England play Scotland, but everyone in Cardiff and Dublin knows that the crux match of the championship is the one at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.

Ireland are tipped as this year’s favourites and Wales, coming from a disappointing Six Nations and a thrashing by the All Blacks last year, have a struggle on their hands. Can they do it?

But I hear you saying, ‘Tell me more about the Six Nations!’ Well, the competition is the oldest Rugby Union championship in the world. In 1871 the first international was played between Scotland and England; then, in the 1880s, Wales and Ireland joined in and the Home International Championships began. Stopping only for world wars, they’ve been going ever since.

France joined in 1910 and left in 1931, either, depending on whom you believe, because:
• Players were found to have knives hidden in their socks;
• Players had been paid – and the game was still amateur;
• French administration of their rugby union was poor.

The French rejoined in 1947 and, as the Five Nations, the championship continued until Italy, where rugby is developing apace, were invited to join in 2000.

While winning the championship is the aim of each team, there are other – and arguably greater – prizes to strive for. England and Scotland will be playing on Saturday for the Calcutta Cup; if one of the home nations, England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, win their three matches against the others, they win the Triple Crown; if one team win all their five matches, then they'll have achieved the Grand Slam – the ultimate prize in northern hemisphere rugby.

So back to the question: can the men in red do it? In 2005, a rejuvenated Wales, under the leadership of Mike Ruddock, took the Grand Slam. There was singing in the streets and dancing in the valleys throughout the Principality that night.

Then last year, Wales did what they are best at and shot themselves in the foot, with the sudden, mysterious, never-properly-explained departure of Ruddock. Injuries ruled out many crucial players and didn’t help the campaign, which saw a miserable draw against Italy leave them second from bottom in the table.

But this year, there is a new feeling about the season. It’s called hope.

In reality, every year in Wales we have hope. We say, ‘We can do it this year! Last year we had problems, but we can do it this year.’ It’s unquenchable. The heart-yearning for success on the rugby field is born into every true Welshman; the conviction that really it’s ‘our game’ is real; the belief in ‘our boys’ is deep-seated.

That’s why I’ll say, ‘Yes, Wales can do it this year.’

The team has yet to be finalised for Sunday’s game, though former skipper Gareth Thomas is out - banned following an incident while playing for his club Toulouse. But with Ryan Jones at No.8 powering his way forward, ball in hand, Scott Quinnell-like, along with in-form Alix Popham and the experienced Martyn Williams, stunning newcomer James Hook, and the dream half-back pairing of Dwayne Peel and Mr Reliable, captain Stephen Jones, well, need I go on?

With Tom Jones (and 40,000 Welsh voices) belting out, ‘My, my, my Delilah,’ the Irish had better look out. The boys are back!

Can Wales win the Six Nations - or will Ireland fulfil the bookies' expectations and beat them at the first hurdle? Sportingo would value your comments.