‘Not making the Lions was motivational force for me’
JOSH VAN DER FLIER has been the outstanding player of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. Granted, the man-of-the-match award he collected for his performance against a depleted Italian side won’t be remembered for too long, but it was yet more evidence that the 28-year-old Wickow native may be the most improved player in Irish rugby.
Such has been the dynamism and purposefulness he has shown, both in the Leinster and Ireland back row this season, that Jamie Heaslip has even gone as far as comparing him to Thierry Dusautoir, the great French flanker.
Van der Flier admits that it is encouraging to hear such praise but gives the impression that he doesn’t dwell on it.
‘It is always nice to get compliments and praise, but I try and stay away from what is being said about me. I wouldn’t be one to watch rugby talk shows or read interviews.
‘I try to avoid those things because you might look and see something positive, but you might also see something that you don’t like what’s being said about me.
‘But obviously, you do hear people say different things and it does give me a lot of confidence. But I do make a big effort not to let it get to me in terms that it is all going great and I can relax a bit and don’t need to train as hard. I make a conscious effort not to let it affect me and just use it as a bit of encouragement,’
Van der Flier was overlooked for the Lions tour last summer and the way that he has played in the past year is a rebuke to those selectors who didn’t take him to South Africa. But while he agrees that might have motivated himself to work harder, he believes that his rich vein of form for both province and country has come from a change in mindset.
He’s not over-thinking things on the field any more, just trying to remain relaxed.
‘You take motivation from a lot of places and obviously not being on the Lions was more motivation for me, but the one thing I have tried to change is my mindset a small bit around games. I have been chatting to (Leinster team-mate) Scott Fardy about this.
‘I would have been very structured and sometimes have been guilty of over-thinking in games instead of trying to relax and just play what comes naturally.
‘So, telling myself don’t be so tense about things. It helps you play a more natural game and to remain in the moment.’
Gary Keegan and Enda McNulty, who have both worked with the psychology and performance side for the national side, have both helped van der Flier to find a way of staying the moment.
He is also attempting to alleviate the tension in the build-up to games.
In the past, if he had a big match at the weekend, he reckons that he wasn’t even able to organise a post-match meal with his parents as everything would be geared towards what was going to happen on the pitch.
‘Yeah, I would have used sports psychologists but I would have also picked up things from guys I played with. I mentioned Scott Fardy, but also Cian Healy or Jamie Heaslip or Johnny Sextion, how those lads would approach things. It is about being able to stay in the moment, concentrating in the moment and not thinking back on a mistake or looking forward to the end of the game.’
Next Saturday in Twickenham is a case of going back to where his Ireland career began, as he made his debut against England in 2016. And last season was the first time in five attempts that he managed to get one over them, although he insists that was never a concern.
‘They were always tough games. I made my debut against them and that was a very close game, which we could have won.
‘We had been close a couple of times, but didn’t manage to get over the line, so it was great to finally get the win against them.
‘But I don’t think it was ever a case of “will I ever beat these guys?”. It was more sticking to the processes and it will happen.
‘It is nice, they are the team to beat and when you are growing up and supporting Ireland, that was always the game you wanted to win. So, it was a nice one to beat them finally.’
It’s a feeling that Van der Flier wants to experience again next weekend. And if Ireland do come away from Twickenham with the win, it might have a lot to do with the performance of the flanker with the red scrum cap.