JOSH VAN DER Flier is unassuming in character but admits being forced to watch Ireland’s final game of the Six Nations campaign from the sidelines was a disappointing experience.
The young Leinster flanker announced himself on the international stage with imposing performances against England and Italy but found himself out of the picture for the concluding fixture against Scotland.
Instead, Joe Schmidt opted to bring Munster’s Tommy O’Donnell in at openside flanker with van der Flier excluded from the matchday squad after nursing ‘a couple of bumps and bruises.’
It was an underwhelming way to end a breakthrough championship for the 22-year-old and while his focus has reverted back to continuing his progress in blue, there’s still a hint of disillusionment looking back.
“It was a funny feeling,” Van der Flier said at the launch of Leinster Rugby’s School of Excellence. “Obviously you’re keen to be involved and really want to play but I did have a couple of knocks from the weekend, but he obviously felt Tommy was fresher which was the way it goes.
“I was a bit disappointed with it, I suppose. It was surreal in a way. I felt I really wanted to be out there playing whereas a year before, or even a few weeks before, you were just happy to be in the squad.
“It was kind of annoying but it was a good thing that I was disappointed not to be playing. It was very surreal for me watching the game thinking I wish I was out, I feel like I should be and basically thinking I’m disappointed I’m not out there.”
Nonetheless, winning his first cap at Twickenham and making his home debut against Italy represented a memorable few weeks for the former Wesley College student.
Van der Flier has since returned to Leinster, and played in last week’s defeat to Connacht, but at the back of his mind is always an onus on improving and focusing on the areas of the games he needs to strengthen.
“Joe does explain,” he says when asked about whether the Ireland head coach offered him an explanation for his decision to prefer O’Donnell against Scotland.
“My experience with Joe, and with all the coaches really, is that they’ve all been really honest with me. That’s what you want.
“If they’re honest, then they’ll give you things to work on, things you’ve done well. That’s what you need.
“Once you get that positive or negative feedback, as long as it’s honest, then you can take it away and know what to work on.”
Van der Flier will get the opportunity to showcase himself at the Aviva Stadium again this weekend when Leinster host Munster in a crunch inter-pro derby.
With the stakes as high as ever in the Pro12, the flanker is expecting a physically intense battle in a game he’ll come up against players he’s spent the last two months with.
“It is kind of strange, especially seeing all of the lads; coming into Munster this week and Connacht last weekend, they’re all your mates now because you know them from Irish camp. So, it is a bit strange.
“Before, you’d be playing Ulster or someone and I might know some of the younger lads, but not really any of the others. Whereas, now I know a few more.
“Before the Six Nations, I wouldn’t know them personally, you wouldn’t even take them into the picture because you’d be more thinking within Leinster about staying ahead of the opposition.
“You wouldn’t even have thought of the Irish set-up and players much so it’s changed a lot, really.”
With the business end of the season approaching, Leo Cullen’s charges are fully aware of the significance of Saturday’s fixture.
The race for the play-offs is heating up and Leinster are determined to earn a home semi-final in a bid to end a mixed season with some silverware.
With over 40,000 tickets pre-sold for the game, there will be a real sense of occasion on Lansdowne Road come kick-off time, although it will all be new to van der Flier.
Such is his youth, even the Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park in 2009 is a bit of a vague memory but that’s not to say he isn’t fully aware of the magnitude of derby day.
“I don’t think I went to any of the Leinster-Munster games when I was younger, but I got into it on TV,” he recalls. “It was massive. It used to be like the Irish forwards versus the Irish backs kind of thing. That’s my earliest memory of it.
“I have no idea what it is like playing in them but I know from watching it and following it in the media and stuff through the years how big a deal it is. It is the big derby, I suppose. Has been traditionally anyway.
“Through Wicklow Rugby Club I would have watched a load of games, but we wouldn’t have really have gone to the games, we wouldn’t have been a season ticket holders.
“We would have watched the Leinster games mostly on TV but I went to the Irish games quite a lot, my dad would get tickets for them.
“I was still massively into it, a massive Leinster fan.”
After making a name for himself and his reputation spiralling over the course of a remarkable season, does van der Flier feel any added pressure going into games?
“Not really any different from what it’s been really, just with the competition in Leinster for back rows its always kind of been the same,” he insists.
“It’s obviously a bit different now when I’m expected to perform more than I was at the start of the season when it was my first few games and the expectation wasn’t quite as high. There’s still that drive to stay ahead of other competition in the back row.”
Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier and Ross Molony were joined by Caoimhe Power (16, Navan RFC) and Sean Dunne (16, Lansdowne FC) at Donnybrook Stadium to mark the launch of the Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby School of Excellence which will run in The King’s Hospital School, Palmerstown in July and August. Click here for more information.
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