Though it may only seem a few weeks ago that a far superior South Africa team brought an end to England's dream-like run in the World Cup, rugby is set to hit our screens again in a big way over the coming few weeks.

Starting on Saturday, weekend terrestrial programming will be dominated by the sport as England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy battle it out for the Six Nations Championship.

Significantly, this year's event is expected to pull in the viewers throughout, with experts predicting that it will be a 'vintage' Six Nations.

Unlike the African Cup of Nations, currently being broadcast on the BBC via analogue during the afternoons and digital in the evenings, it is unlikely that there will be any teams simply making up the numbers and therefore largely predictable and redundant clashes between giants of the game and, the rugby equivalents of say Angola or Guinea, should be an impossibility.

In theory, each of the six teams could claim the crown, a situation which is sure to make for some great television, particularly in pubs or households with mixed allegiances.

However, it is probably also fair to say that most eyes will be on the England side that came so close to global glory just a few months ago, despite the fact that coach Brian Ashton has already sprung a few surpirises in terms of his selections.

As such, while the opening game of Ireland versus Italy should be a rough-and-ready contest, with even remote TV fans able to sense the atmosphere of Croke Park through their digiboxes, it will be, for many, simply an appetiser for the England and Wales game which kicks off later in the afternoon.

Best of all for armchair fans is the fact that, unlike the recent major competitions involving British teams or individuals, since the Six Nations is set in Europe, every kick and scrum can be watched live, without the need to stay up late or set the video.

Furthermore, all the games will be free to view on the BBC and will be aired over the weekends, thereby allowing fans to enjoy a beer or two without having to worry about the state of their heads the morning after.

Sadly, however, this perfect scenario could be a thing of the past as France have just announced plans to hold next year's match against Wales on a Friday night, potentially forcing millions of men across the continent to choose between bonding with workmates and enjoying top-class sport in the comfort of their own homes, free of charge.

Given that commercial factors alone make it highly likely that rugby will follow the example of football when it comes to awkward scheduling, now could be the last chance to spend a long weekend on the couch doing nothing but watching the game's second biggest competition.