Exclusive interview. Part III. Andy Nicol and Chris Paterson discuss winning starts and how this year's championship may develop

CP We know the importance of getting off to a good start.

KF Yes . . . and Scotland have only won once in the first game of the Six Nations.

CP Was that against France in 2006?

KF That's it.

CP And then because it was a Sunday game there was a real disappointment when we lost in Wales after just a six day turn-around, but then we beat England back at Murrayfield and had a good campaign. That good start will be even more important for an England side who maybe are finding their feet but have got quality, quality players and sometimes youth is better than some of the older heads because they've got no baggage. However, if they start well, whoever starts well usually finishes well because it is so condensed and I just hope Scotland start well.

KF Well, that one year in the last 10 where Scotland started well was also the one year they finished in the top half of the table.

CP That first game is massive.

AN I would argue that's even more so this season because of the way the games follow on. If we can win that first game at home, it sets us up. If we don't, it's not inconceivable that we could be going to Rome on the last weekend without a victory. It's all about confidence, it's all about momentum. We say it every year, if the side can get on a roll it can take you through. If we could go down to Cardiff on the back of a victory, then depending on what's happened in Dublin then Wales could be under real pressure. We proved two years ago that we can play in Cardiff when we should have won and should have won quite convincingly. There's a lot of this squad have been in Cardiff and know what it's like to play there, so I like the look of the championship and the way it's set out . . . the actual sequence of games.

CP As long as we win the first game. That first game is so important. I remember in '08, Wales eventually went on to win the grand slam, but they played England first up and at half-time they were getting hammered. I think it was Warren Gatland and Sean Edwards' first game and at half-time they were walking down the stairs and the way they were looking at each other I thought there could be a lot of pressure on them if it mounted out. However, Wales came out and won it and went on and won that grand slam.

KF Let's look at the other five countries then in the order Scotland play them. England first.

AN You look at someone like Owen Farrell who's played in a Premiership final in front of 80,000. He doesn't look fazed. There's probably genetics involved but he looks like he can play international rugby right away. So I absolutely take Chris's point that some of them won't ever have played at Murrayfield, but if they go with the likes of (Chris) Robshaw, or Callum Clarke, these guys look good, hungry young players who will just be wound up and put on to Murrayfield. So it's the least intimidating, but arguably the scariest England team in a long time because we don't know what they're going to be like.

KF Wales next and over to you, Chris, because you've got such happy memories of your last visit to the Millennium Stadium . . .

cp I do from the start and winning my 100th cap and we played well, but with what happened to Thom Evans, my own injury and the way we lost the game it didn't turn out too great. Wales, though, are probably the team everyone saw as the form home nation team at the World Cup and the best game for me at the World Cup was the Wales-Ireland quarter-final. That was played at an intensity higher than any other game at the World Cup and I thought the way both teams brought their physicality to that game was immense. If they bring that, then they're a hard nut to crack, but they've got a number of injuries and they played those extra games in New Zealand, came home to another international and then the Heineken Cup. Jamie Roberts is the man who brought that intensity to that game and he's not played since Christmas. So they could be very good if their bodies allow it.

AN I'm not hugely convinced about the hype around Wales post-World Cup. What they did was good, but it's not that much better than anyone else. They won the same number of games at the World Cup as England and Ireland and then they played Australia in a season when their teams were flying in the Pro12, up against an Australian team who were four or five weeks out of season and Australia dominated that game. So I'm to be convinced yet and that opening game in Dublin will be a massive game for them.

KF France next.

AN With Philippe Saint-Andre in charge, there will be a bit more structure to them. Any team that is picking from players at Clermont and Toulouse, as well as the likes of Stade Francais, Montpellier and Racing Metro, they have the best players in the Six Nations by a distance, but it's getting the best XV and combinations within that XV out on the park. Saint-Andre has had a few issues as a selector when he was at Sale, though, it wasn't one of his strengths, so we'll see.

KF Chris did you enjoy playing against France or did you always worry about them.

CP I loved it. My first Six Nations cap was against them at home in the orange jersey. We lost that game, but I can just remember that whole game thinking this is what it's all about, this is where I want to be. My opposite man was Thomas Casaignede and Emile N'Tamack was on the other wing.

AN Some old yacker scored a try for us didn't he?

CP Aye, Andy got the try, under the posts.

AN It was 50-yard burst as I recall.

KF Don't think so . . . that was long after the knee surgeries.

CP Aye, I can just remember I'd been called up to do the kicking at that stage and Andy handed me the ball and it was only four or five minutes after half-time but he said "Take your time. There's no need to rush." But I've got really good memories of that and I loved playing at Stade de France as well. I just love their approach to the game and I think they are the biggest fear for Scotland this year. Their selection will be better and more consistent than at the World Cup. They've got so much quality and a bit to prove.

AN They've got England and Ireland in Paris this season, as well as Italy, then Wales in Cardiff the last weekend, so this season's draw is very good for them.

KF What about Ireland building a team from Munster and Leinster again is quite an advantage on Heineken Cup form.

AN Don't forget Ulster. If you describe the three of them in the last few weeks it's about just how physical they've been. They might not be the most attractive side in this championship but I'll tell you what, they'll be the hardest team to play.

cp We played Ulster two weeks ago and they took us apart. Sometimes you're beaten by a better team and we didn't play particularly well – we made a lot of mistakes – but, when we came off, Michael Bradley, our coach, was saying they were a quality side.

AN When you've got a forward pack that Ireland are going to have with a back-row of [Stephen] Ferris, [Sean] O'Brien and [Jamie] Heaslip . . . and [Jonny] Sexton is on his game at the moment . . . They might not be that attractive but they'll be very hard to beat for everyone.

KF And the Italy game has almost become the traditional Wooden Spoon game for Scotland but, at the end of the campaign, wouldn't it be lovely for the players to be going to Rome looking to win something.

CP Treviso are a hard nut to crack, going well in Europe and the Pro12 in particular. Aironi have been a bit disappointing though. I think it might actually help Scotland that they're going to the Olympic Stadium this time. For me one of the factors of playing in Italy was playing at the Stadio Flaminio. It's a brilliant place to play, but it also plays right into the Italians' hands. It was such a different venue for the Six Nations. They might lose something but gain others by playing in the Olympic stadium. It will be a more familiar experience for our players who are used to playing Six Nations games in big stadiums. Whether that will help or hinder Italy I don't know, but I think it will probably help Scotland.

AN I don't think Italy will win a game. I think they'll be competitive but maybe not quite as competitive as they've been. I saw signs that they were just going down rather than up at the World Cup in particular. They were badly beaten by Australia and Ireland.

KF I think we'll make sure that the 'translate into Italian' facility is not activated if those comments go on The Herald website . . .