Who’s in charge?

Warren Gatland has been Wales’s head coach for nearly a decade now, having returned north from a job in his native New Zealand in 2007. The head coach of Ireland for three years from 1998, he has also taken charge of Wasps, and has toured twice with the British and Irish Lions - as assistant coach in 2009, and as head coach four years later. His biggest achievement as Wales coach was presiding over the Grand Slam victories in 2008 and 2012 - both times, it should be noted, after a World Cup year. He stepped aside from the job briefly in 2013 in order to take charge of the Lions on their successful tour to Australia.

Criticised at times for his unadventurous style of rugby - predictably christened Warrenball - Gatland was vindicated big time in the decisive Test against the Wallabies, which the Lions won handsomely. Do not expect him to make more than minor modifications this year to a formula that has brought him significant success.

Encouraging World Cup?

Yes, especially given the circumstances, which saw them go into the tournament with a long injury list. They played inspired rugby at times in the pool stages, and enjoyed an unforgettable pool win over England before losing to Australia to go through as runners-up. They were then just edged out by South Africa in the quarter-final, but were arguably the most impressive Northern Hemisphere side at the tournament.

How are they looking now?

Wales appear to be in excellent shape right now, both compared to where they were a year ago and compared to the state of their rivals for the title. They can only feel inspired by the way they coped with adversity during the World Cup, and, while they still do not have their injury problems to seek, they now have a real belief that they can rise above any such difficulties.

Their confidence, already high, can only be elevated further by an analysis of the other teams. England and France are partially unknown quantities under new coaches, Scotland are improving but still look vulnerable, Ireland may be on the way down and Italy are little or nothing to worry about. In other words, Wales are the form team going into the tournament, and are confident that if they play to their strengths the title will be theirs.

Who’s in, who’s out?

Three important backs - Leigh Halfpenny, Scott Williams and Rhys Webb - are out injured. Captain Sam Warburton is a doubt for the first match, while full-back Liam Williams and winger Hallam Amos have also played little rugby in recent months as a result of injury.

The ease with which newcomers fit into Wales’ style of play demonstrates that they are a settled side, but it will nonetheless be interesting to see how many uncapped players Gatland opts to throw into the fray at the same time. Of the squad he originally selected for the tournament, 11 have yet to play a match in the Six Nations, with the newcomers to the competition in addition to Amos including Aled Davies, James King and Matthew Morgan.

Where are they strong?

Dynamic, disciplined and driven, Wales know the kind of game plan needed to win in the Six Nations and they invariably execute it very well. Especially at home, they have great self-belief, which ensures that they do not panic even if they find themselves behind with time running out. They also mix up their tempo well, playing a patient game for much of the time then suddenly speeding up the minute they spot an opening.

Where are they weak?

No matter how much strength in depth you have, players of the quality of Halfpenny have to be missed sooner or later. At the very highest level, against the best defences, they can sometimes fail to make the most of their scoring opportunities.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether any of their Six Nations opponents have defences which can reach such a level, but even thwarting the Welsh attack for a significant chunk of a match can undermine their confidence. Warrenball, although successful, does not work 100 per cent of the time, and when it is not coming up with the goods Wales can sometimes appear baffled as to what they should do next. In other words, they lack versatility.

Key player

Dan Biggar was one of the few front-line Wales players omitted by Gatland from his Lions squad in 2013, but since then the Ospreys back has matured into probably the best stand-off in the competition. Particularly with Leigh Halfpenny being absent through injury, the 26-year-old’s goalkicking is absolutely vital for his team.

Who will they be worried about?

Ireland. If you had to single out one match as having the greatest probable impact on the Championship, it would surely be the fixture in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Sunday. The Irish, title-winners for each of the past two years, could put a massive dent in Welsh hopes of succeeding them if they claim the win. And, win, lose or draw, Wales will be anxious to come out of the game without too many additions to their injury list, as they face a six-day turnaround before welcoming Scotland to Cardiff.

What will they be happy with?

Winning the Championship. Their squad looks in the best shape to win the title, so falling short will rightly be seen as an avoidable under-achievement.