The rugby national team face familiar opposition this afternoon when they entertain Croatia in their European Group 2B opening qualifier at the Hibs Ground (kick-off: 2 p.m.).
Damien Neill's men have a good knowledge of what to expect having met the Croatian team three times in the last two years.
The Maltese won their first meeting in 2006, 26-15 at the Hibs Ground, but Croatia hit back strongly in Division 2B the following year winning both matches - 40-18 and 24-9. Neill said those defeats were hard to fathom and his players are itching to get some kind of retribution this afternoon.
"The boys were not happy with their performances against Croatia last year," Neill said.
"They knew they had to raise their game but on both occasions they failed to perform.
"This time, however, things could be different.
"The team is in a much better physical condition and the players looked very sharp in training. I am also impressed with the attitude of the Malta-based players. Contrary to previous years, they started pre-season in summer even though the MRFU league starts next month.
"They are coming into these matches in top shape. That is a big plus for us as I can choose my team from a wider pool of players."
In preparation for the Croatia qualifier and the trip to Sweden the following week, Neill summoned his players for a training camp at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.
"It was a very useful exercise for the team as the players have bonded well together," Neill said.
"However, training on an artificial pitch is not ideal. Unfortunately, the Marsa ground is currently in the process of re-seeding so we had to find an alternative venue and the end result was that some players picked up niggling injuries as they are not used to playing on such surface.
"Still, it was not all negative as the newcomers have given us more options in key areas.
"Rugby is developing fast in Malta but there is still a lot of work to do to go up another level. Hopefully, we'll have the crowd behind us at the Hibs Ground to underline the popularity of the game here."
For the Welsh coach, today's match heralds the start of the second season in the third tier of European rugby. Besides Croatia, the Maltese are also due to face Sweden before playing the Netherlands and Latvia next year.
"Our target is very simple, to keep our status in Division 2B," Neill said.
"However, it's not going to be a simple task as we are facing some strong sides such as the Dutch. Also, teams like Latvia, Croatia and Sweden can beat anyone on their day. Besides, there is also the added incentive that the top team after the 2008-09 season will progress to the next round of the 2011 World Cup qualifiers.
"But, against Croatia the most important thing for us is to find some consistency. A win would be the perfect way to start."