Josh van der Flier is unflinching in appraising his performances. His honesty, attention to detail and willingness to pore over the video analysis complements the work ethic that the 22-year-old espouses on match days and ensures that he is relentless in the pursuit of being a better player.
In the two recent Champions Cup matches against Toulon, the Leinster openside flanker made 19 and 16 tackles respectively, comfortably ahead of any team-mate or opposition player but to his critical eye he felt he came off second best to Toulon's 2014 European Player of the Year, Steffon Armitage.
Van der Flier didn’t seek any mitigation. Armitage is eight years older, a former England international, has picked up a cabinet full of baubles for individual excellence, and is considered by many to be in the top handful of players in world rugby when it comes to the breakdown.
The Leinster played enjoyed a try-scoring cameo from the bench on his Champions Cup debut against Bath and then started the province’s next two European matches during a fledgling career that numbers just 15 senior appearances. “The biggest thing I’d look at in terms of performance is you’d see who played better, your opposite number or you,” he says.
‘Work to do”
“I’d say [Steffon] Armitage definitely played better the last couple of games, in my opinion anyway, so there’s a good bit of work to do. I learned a lot from him just watching him on the pitch.
“Basically it’s his all round game, the way he ball carries, the way he always gets in those positions for poaches. He’s always over the ball, a pest to play against.” The young Leinster player mentions the English man in the same breath as Richie McCaw and David Pocock.
He continued: “I think it’s positioning. He [Armitage] reads the game really, really well. Watching him back on the video you see him hovering in behind and he anticipates where the tackle is going to be. He’s right there. A lot of it is experience although I’m sure he’s worked really hard at it.”
He is grateful for the opportunity to pit his wits against Armitage and also Springbok number eight, Duane Vermuelen, pointing out that it is one thing to tackle low in training to try and corral a physically bigger player but it can’t quite ape the match environment where the individual harbours a more malicious intent.
The plaudits he’s received for a series of excellent displays have been pleasing on the one hand but he conceded: “It’s more exciting to win. I’ve been happy enough with my own performance over the last while but then when it doesn’t contribute towards a win it’s hard to be happy after the game. I think the Ulster game was when I was most pleased because we got the win and I managed to perform as well.”
Inspiration
Van der Flier is content for others to speculate on a potential call-up to the an extended Ireland squad explaining that he is just concentrating on playing well for Leinster but he does concede that the pathway taken by provincial team-mates is a source of inspiration.
"It helped me a lot seeing the likes of Jack Conan and Jordi Murphy; they came from the [Leinster] academy straight in, playing a lot of senior games, and then getting on to the Ireland squad. Once you see someone in your position doing that it just motivates you, shows you it can be done."
In an Irish context the upcoming interprovincial clashes over the Christmas and New Year period will have an impact and potentially first up for van der Flier is Munster in Limerick on Sunday.
“I’m really looking forward to it; I’ve never played in Thomond Park.
“They’ll be really fired up, both teams will. It’ll be a massive battle, especially in the forwards, as it always is with Munster, so it will be quite a challenge. It’s a crucial part of the season.”
Individually and collectively.
