Stuart Lancaster is already playing it down but the prospect of Leinster going an entire season unbeaten looks less fanciful with each passing day. So far it is 14 played, 14 won and after negotiating the Inter-Pro festive season, the Guinness PRO14 champions are looking unstoppable. Whether it was ending Munster’s unbeaten record at Thomond Park, or sticking a half-century on Connacht in a match where possession and territory stats were very similar and even the eye-watering tackle counts were relatively even. Their depth is unrivalled across Europe, and in the Heineken Champions Cup they are already into the quarter-finals after four rounds and looking very well-placed for two home knock-outs ahead of a potential trip to Marseille in the final. Of course this is still premature. No team in Europe has ever gone unbeaten, and while we are in January, they would still have to go through another 18 games to achieve the unthinkable.
