Rob Kearney predicts France and Ireland will fight it out for Six Nations glory in the coming weeks.
Kearney, Ireland's most decorated player, will call the championship as a TV pundit for the first time after spending his last six months as a player in Australia with Western Force in the first half of 2021.
The former Leinster full-back feels that Andy Farrell's side caught people by surprise by completing an Autumn series clean sweep in such style - out-playing the All Blacks in the process.
"It was a superb November and they probably caught a lot of us off-guard a little bit," said Kearney.
"Against New Zealand it was as complete a performance as we've seen from an Irish team in a number of years.
"They just looked so comfortable keeping the ball in hand for a consistent amount of phases - and when they didn't have the ball, their primary objective was just to go back and get it as quickly as possible, there was real aggression in the line speed.
"The system defensively caused them a little bit of trouble in the Six Nations over the last couple of years. But they've made huge strides in that now and they'll be going into this competition with a huge amount of confidence.
"The French are rightfully favourites for the competition. We're going away to Paris, to a packed out Stade de France which is always another layer to the difficulty of winning over there.
"At the same time, if they're playing as good rugby as they have done, there's no reason why Ireland shouldn't be going there with a huge amount of confidence."
Kearney is concerned that, on the eve of the championship, his former team-mate Johnny Sexton is still not being pushed for the no 10 jersey, although Joey Carbery is back from injury and Jack Carty has played well in Europe for Connacht and they will get their chance.
But Kearney does see evolution in Ireland's transition to a more dangerous attacking force and he predicts the men in green will take care of business against reigning champs Wales in the tournament opener next Saturday.
At the same stage last year, Ireland were favourites to win in Cardiff but Peter O'Mahony was sent off and the hosts held out for a win that ultimately propelled them to title success.
"Now, Wales have surprised us a huge amount over the last number of years but I'd be surprised to see them up around the top table again," Kearney said.
"I'd expect a relatively comfortable win for Ireland - and that first game is always really important because it can just springboard your confidence into the rest of the tournament.
"If it goes wrong, you can be under pressure very quickly. It's a really good opener for Ireland to have, particularly at home.
"You can see the difference a full Aviva made to the team against New Zealand in November and they haven't really played in front of a full stadium again since.
"I think that will be a huge motivating factor for them."
One area of concern could be Ireland's dependence on Leinster - November saw 12 starters come from the province.
But Kearney is not worried in that regard.
“If we’re being very honest, Leinster are the form team in Europe - they are certainly the form team in Ireland and they are the biggest contributors to the national side.
"So, the more that group is together and winning games the bigger advantage it will be for the national squad.
“You’ve got some players from Ulster playing particularly well the last few weeks who will be knocking on the door and your usual guys from Munster who are always involved in the national squad.
“It will take some time to bed back in together but they are a very close-knit group of players and I think that being in the bubble the last few years will be good for them.
"They will have formed much stronger relationships than maybe any squad over the last 10 or 20 years, as opposed to being just colleagues - which can sometimes be the case when the four provinces come back together.
“There is always one dominant team within the national squad and 10 or 15 years ago it was Munster and now it has changed over to Leinster.
"Ulster have impressed the last few weeks and they have some really good young players doing well there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of them make appearances over the next few weeks.”
Kearney is looking forward to calling the shots from the stands but admits that transitioning from his long career as a pro into what Jamie Heaslip labelled 'the afterlife' has been "very difficult and very different".
But the Louthman added: "You have to be pretty patient with yourself because I have never gone through this phase of my life before where every day isn’t dictated by a schedule and you always know where you will be at every exact time for the next two or three weeks.
“So, it takes a bit of time to find out what works for you and it takes a bit of time to work out what you enjoy doing.
"I would have gone to the gym every day, every second day, my whole life. Now I’m at a stage where I might not go there for two weeks at a time and you’re playing a bit of five-a-side soccer or squash to keep you moving over.
“It takes a bit of time as well to find out what you enjoy and you wake up some mornings realising that you don’t have to do something and it’s just as easy not to do it.
"I’m definitely enjoying it. There’s parts of the day where you’re a bit bored but I find the busier you keep yourself the easier it is to stay active and busy.”
That dressing-room camaraderie he found with Leinster and Ireland team-mates is the biggest thing he has missed since hanging up his boots.
"You build up so many relationships with your teammates and you’ve good craic," said Kearney.
"It’s the little moments in the changing-room during the day, or nipping off for a coffee together after a gym session and just having the craic. You do miss that environment and you do miss the friendships off it.
"I suppose, I was playing until I was 35 so you do know that you are dwindling and those moments are starting to run out so you prepare yourself for it.
"You still have good relationships with some of the lads. I’m lucky in that I still only live up the road from where they are training so I still get to see a few of them every so often.”
And now he has to critique former colleagues and former teams.
“Balance is definitely the word for it," said Kearney. "You have to remember that you are doing a job so you have to do that to the best of your ability.
"It’s also important that you are fair without being too malicious and that is the hardest tone and the biggest challenge I will have over the next few weeks.
"But if you do it in a way that is fair it’s very hard to dispute it at times. There will definitely be cases where you have to choose your words a bit more carefully.”
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