Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

Learning to let go has transformed Josh van der Flier into an attacking force to be reckoned with

Josh van der Flier learned to let go and that has turned him into one of Ireland's most dangerous attackers.

The buccaneering Leinster flanker made his Test debut at Twickenham in the 2016 Six Nations and he returns to the home of English rugby a player transformed.

Eddie Jones' charges were served notice by the 28-year-old's man of the match display against Italy seven days ago, when he swatted opponents out of the way like flies.

It wasn't always like that for van der Flier, who was trusted for his tireless tackling and breakdown work but not seen as a ball-carrying threat.

That has all changed since he enjoyed his first taste of victory over England in last year's championship - and at the fifth attempt.

"We’d been close a couple of times, it just hadn’t managed to get over the line so yeah it was great to get the win against them alright," van der Flier said.

"I don’t think it was a case of ‘will I ever beat these guys?’

"It was more sticking to the processes and it’s so nice - they're the team to beat, probably the team growing up when supporting Ireland you always wanted to win anyway."

The Wicklow man believes it was getting comfortable at this level that finally allowed him to let his attacking instincts flow, while a conversation with former Leinster team-mate Scott Fardy prompted him to stop sweating the small stuff and just play the way he wanted to himself.

Van der Flier also admits that missing out on the British and Irish Lions squad last summer was motivation to play his natural game.

"Sometimes I’d have been guilty of over-thinking in games," he said.

"Instead of almost trying to relax and just play what comes naturally, don’t be so tense about things.

“When I was younger, in school, I thought you have to be like that.

"You see the American football movies and everyone is banging their heads off the lockers and pumped and angry - but I’ve kind of found that’s not really the way.

"I wouldn’t say I was bad at it but I certainly had a lot more tension about myself.

"And now? It comes with the more games you play.

"Some days you’re like, ‘I'm feeling way too relaxed here’ and then you actually end up feeling good on the field and you play well and it's, ‘Oh, I might try that next week!’

"You grow in that way. But definitely feeling more relaxed and working on trusting the habits I’ve built up as well."

Having recently signed a new Leinster deal, van der Flier is hungry to add to his medal haul.

"The more I've played, the more you're thinking how can we get this group to perform, to get to be pushing for those medals and championships," he explained.

"It's definitely something that drives me on more than anything - to contribute as much as I can, to try and be part of those special days because that bond as a team is what you'll remember more so than any individual performances."

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.