Josh Van Der Flier Looks Ahead To Ireland’s 150 Anniversary Match Against Australia

Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier spoke in glowing terms about the impact of former Ireland and current Australia Head Coach Joe Schmidt on his career.

‘We know Joe very well, his trick plays and the way he sets up the team to beat the opposition, but I’m not used to being on the other side of it – it’ll be a big challenge.

“Joe gave me my first Irish cap, when I came into Leinster in the Academy he was the head coach. My first experience of fully professional rugby was with Joe. He helped me a huge amount, his emphasis on detail down to the finest detail. That was something I tried to develop into my game. He played a huge part in my career to date.”

That first cap came against England back in 2016 and van der Flier has won a total of 67 to date but he’s not resting on his past performances, which included a World Player of the Year award in 2022, saying, “We all have things we can improve on. I had a bit of a think over the off season and spoke to a few people about areas that I can improve on and find what works best for me.

“Last year I found myself in areas of the game, particularly attacking wise, where I wasn’t making the most of what I’m good at. To give an example, in the pick and go and the tight stuff I’m not as heavy as some of the other lads, whereas a bit further out towards the back, I find myself most effective in that area.”