Hello, this is the Ruck, the journalist's rugby podcast from The Times and the Sunday Times.

It is Six Nations Eve,

which isn't really a thing, but let's just go with it. Welcome back. I'm Alfie Reynolds,

and we're going to be looking ahead to the 2026 Six Nations, which gets underway this week.

So coming up on the pod, lots to chat about to my right. Hello to Alex Lowe. How are you, Alex?

Very well, thank you. I'm excited for the

pod and Six Nations which starts early this year. It does start. It comes, it always just comes around. Just all of a sudden like, bang, we're into the Six Nations and with one less rest week, which we're going to come on to as a bit of a discussion point. It's going to fly by quicker than ever. Yeah, Thursday night in Paris. It's a good way to launch it, I'd say. Absolutely. Also with us in

studio is Elgin Alderman. Elgin, how you doing? point it's going to fly by quicker than ever. Yeah, Thursday night in Paris is a good way to launch it, I'd say.

Absolutely. Also with us in studio is Elgin Alderman. Elgin, how you doing? I'm very well. I've decided to wear my most six nations friendly shirt today where I've got every nation just about covered, I think, on this shirt. It's 1980 centenary chic. I don't know if any listeners remember when Wales and England combined, played Scotland and

Ireland combined in a 100-year anniversary of the WRIU. It's strange to think back that people

used to celebrate things the Welsh Rugby Union did, but they did in 1980 anyway. I've come

in honour of that jersey today. And those of you that want to see that shirt you can do on

YouTube, because we are now putting episodes of The Ruck on YouTube. Also joining us, the man chuckling down the line that you'll be able to hear, delighted to welcome Mark Palmer back onto the pod. How you doing, Mark? I'm very well, thanks, and feeling decidedly underdressed now. Well, you know, look, so are all of us in the presence of elgin most of the time to be honest with

some of his young boy looks like it's in honour of an airshire winter

indeed it's right that's right and there's three more underneath

well mark will be having you on the pod in person when we get to the calcutter cup next week

so now alex will myself we're all going to be up in

Edinburgh looking forward to that and, well, massive fixture. We'll have a chat about it.

Boys, just to kick us off then, I suppose, tiers up for the whole thing, Six Nations,

26. Alex, I'll come to you first. Who are the favourites?

Well, I think France go into it as favourites, but I actually had in our predictions England to win it.

It's hard, isn't it?

...