Dublin - Ireland are determined to follow through as Six Nations favourite and end a title drought dating back to 1985.
The Irish have finished runner-up in the Six Nations for the past four years. Two years ago, they were favourites to win the title, but lost their final two games to France and Wales.
Last year, Ireland won the Triple Crown, with victories against England, Wales and Scotland, but finished behind France on points difference. Now the Triple Crown isn't enough.
"There is an expectation on us now, maybe more so than there was two years ago, and it is time we lived up to that," flanker Simon Easterby said. "We are two years more mature, two years more experienced."
Captain Brian O'Driscoll also believes Ireland has learned its lessons.
"There are so many senior players that if they see anyone stepping out of line they will pull them back in," O'Driscoll said. "I don't see complacency being a problem at all."
Easterby will start ahead of Neil Best for Ireland's opener at Wales on Sunday - partly because of inside knowledge. Easterby has spent seven seasons playing at Welsh club Llanelli Scarlets under Wales coach Gareth Jenkins.
Ireland are riding on a high from their November internationals where it beat three Southern Hemisphere teams - South Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islanders - in succession for the first time.
"I feel it would be a great disappointment to the side, if we don't improve," O'Driscoll said. "But, when you analyse the games, we still made a huge amount of errors. We spurned a lot of scoring opportunities, so we have plenty still to improve on.
"We have to realise that, and not think we are the finished article."
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is without wing Shane Horgan for the tournament because of a knee injury, while Malcolm O'Kelly, Ireland's most capped player, will miss at least the Wales game with a similar problem. Donncha O'Callaghan will play lock instead.
Key players for Ireland include lock Paul O'Connell, the only Northern Hemisphere player to be shortlisted for the world player of the year, and Ronan O'Gara, who has continued to perform well at flyhalf, with standout performances in November following his Six Nations feat of scoring the most number of points, 76.
There's also strong competition at fullback, with Girvan Dempsey edging out Geordan Murphy to start against Wales. O'Driscoll says that proves the depth of the squad.
"In the circumstances, I think this is the best prepared Irish team ever going into the Six Nations," he said.
But he's wary of it all going wrong in Cardiff.
"Wales will be a massive test for us, and it's going to be a huge game. It could all go disastrously wrong if we don't win the match," O'Driscoll said.
Ireland will play at the 82 000-capacity Croke Park in Dublin this season for the first time, while the 48 000-seat Lansdowne Road is being redeveloped. - Sapa-AP