“It was actually, actually irritating,” Josh van der Flier says on a gray day in Dublin as, simply briefly, his glowing good cheer and disarming modesty give option to one thing extra tangled. Van der Flier, the persistently glorious flanker within the crimson scrum cap for Eire and Leinster, is World Rugby’s participant of the yr. He was one of many standout performers in Eire’s latest grand slam, confirming their standing as world No 1, and on Saturday he’ll attempt to assist Leinster beat Toulouse within the semi-finals of the Champions Cup as they set about reclaiming their title as the most effective crew within the northern hemisphere.
However simply over two years in the past, as he was typically saved out of the Leinster and Eire groups by Will Connors, a dejected Van der Flier felt he had hit an invisible wall. “I used to be considering: ‘What extra can I do? I’m engaged on every thing and nonetheless attempting to enhance but it surely’s not fairly occurring.’ It was so irritating as a result of Will was really taking part in brilliantly. However I additionally felt like I used to be taking part in rather well. I bear in mind at one stage he began the sport and acquired man of the match. They rotated the [Leinster] crew the following week and I acquired man of the match. However the next week they picked him to start out and he performed unbelievably.”
Van der Flier smiles, helplessly, as he remembers how Connors was nearly at all times the favoured starter. “I discovered it very troublesome for these six months or so the place he was beginning forward of me for the massive video games. I didn’t know learn how to enhance.” Every thing modified in March 2021, when Connors was injured simply earlier than Eire performed England, and Van der Flier was given one other probability. “One of many bits of suggestions Andy Farrell [Ireland’s head coach] gave me helped. He stated: ‘Get some massive moments and attempt to get extra concerned. Discover methods to make a giant distinction in massive video games.’ Earlier than then I used to be very completely happy simply to be within the background, work actual exhausting, make my tackles, hit the rucks.
“Stuart Lancaster [Leinster’s assistant head coach] described it rather well once I was chatting to him concerning the the explanation why it’s gone higher for me since then. He stated that with ball-carrying I in all probability acquired a bit extra egocentric. It may be the fallacious phrase however earlier than then I might be completely happy for our greatest ball‑carriers to take cost. However I’d acquired to the stage that, if there’s three of us, I’m going to face up and take this ball. That was one of many key issues I developed.”
Van der Flier in motion for Leinster towards Ulster within the Champions Cup earlier this month. {Photograph}: Billy Stickland/INPHO/Shutterstock
Van der Flier’s progress since then has been marked however his blistering performances are matched by his humility and generosity off the sphere. “After I consider Will,” he says of Connors, “I really feel it was actually exhausting for him. He was beginning forward of me after which he harm his knee. The poor man’s had harm setbacks however not less than he’s again match now, which is nice. However that gave me the chance to play a variety of video games.”
He additionally attributes his development to a easy lesson handed to him by the now retired Australian ahead Scott Fardy, who performed with him at Leinster from 2017 to 2021. “Scott acquired to know me, and he’d see how I’d overanalyse video games. He was like: ‘Your approach’s good, you’re employed on it hundreds, you are able to do every thing. You simply must loosen up and play the sport relatively than attempting to overanalyse or power it.’ He inspired me to belief my instincts.”