JOSH VAN DER FLIER believes the secret to becoming world-class was to keep calm and carry ball.
The Leinster flanker, 31, will win his 69th cap tomorrow as he embarks on his tenth Six Nations campaign with Ireland.
He married other half Sophie de Patoul in 2022[/caption]
There might not be much nutritional value in doughnuts but there is a mental one for him[/caption]
He made his debut in 2016 against England at Twickenham and, when fit, has been largely ever-present since for Joe Schmidt, Andy Farrell and now Simon Easterby.
But it is also fair to say that his career can be split in two.
There was pre-2021 when he was a breakdown expert who offered little scoring threat — and post-2021 when he became a try-scoring machine and World Rugby Player of the Year.
Van der Flier scored a total of 14 tries in his first seven campaigns with Leinster and Ireland — he has racked up 12, ten, five and six in the three-and-a-bit seasons since.
So what changed?
Van der Flier explained: “You probably grow as a player, you learn things and I wouldn’t be anywhere near as nervous and anxious as I was then before that first game in 2016.
“I suppose that was the first time I played England, there were a lot of nerves, ‘Am I good enough for this level?’
“You always have those doubts that you have to push aside for a game to build your confidence up.
“But that was always something in you, the more you play, the more confidence you get and my preparation for games now looks completely different.
“I still tried my hardest back then to prepare well but you learn what works for you and what doesn’t and how you can get yourself to the best place for performing at the weekend.
“Back then I felt if I wasn’t really nervous I wouldn’t play well.
“Now I’d be happy to be really relaxed, knowing what works for me, whereas then I would have been anxious.
“I would have hated being anxious but felt I needed to be anxious.
“It was one of those funny ones so definitely that changed a lot.”
As for how it changed, he continued: “I think it kind of came about, there was a few times I was 24th man and I had prepared to play, I’d learnt the plays and stuff.
“But I’m not playing and then someone gets injured in the warm-up and you have to play, and you’re completely relaxed and then you have to turn it on and play and it goes really well.
“And you’re, ‘Maybe I don’t need to be so wound-up about the game’.
HOUSE OF PHYSICAL PAIN
“I lived with five other lads who played rugby for years and all we talked about was rugby.
“And then I met my girlfriend, now wife, and she wasn’t that interested in talking about rugby.
“So you kind of went away from it and I kind of found that helped me, it gave me a much better balance.
“So I started trying to switch off more in the build-up to games. I think it was 2021, the start of the season 21/22.
“I was going to try and go into the pre-season game as relaxed as I could.
“I played that, felt really good, felt more relaxed.
“I was able to not be as uptight, read the game better and get into more of a ‘flow state’, if that makes sense. And then I kind of kept that on from then.
“So since then I’ve kind of been happy being as relaxed as possible.
“If there is a 24th man or lads who aren’t playing, I like to chat to them because they’re always really relaxed whereas everyone else can be a bit tense.
“I like to keep it as calm as possible, I found that worked.”
BREAKFAST BREAK
It even goes for his pre-match routine that used to be so rigid. Small adjustments like a breakfast pastry are now a way to chill out.
Van der Flier added: “I’d always be so strict on what I ate before a game. I’d still be strict. But back then I wouldn’t have any treats whatsoever.
“Now, the odd morning of a game I might have a croissant or something, just to relax, something to enjoy or the day before the game, I’d have a doughnut or a couple of cookies or whatever, it’s a small thing but it helps me.
“It’s enjoyable — not being uptight, anxious about the game. That definitely helped me, flicking that switch.
“I don’t know if it would work for everyone but I definitely found that’s where I play my best.”
And Leinster and Ireland have reaped the rewards.
In that first season of the new relaxed Josh van der Flier, he was named World Rugby Player of the Year and helped Leinster to the Champions Cup final.
And in the two seasons that have followed, he has again helped his province to the European decider and Ireland to back-to-back Championships.
MOST WONDERFUL TIME
Three in a row is now Ireland’s ambition and the back-row ace admitted that there are always high hopes after the decorations have come down and the days start to grow longer in late January.
He added: “I’ve always looked forward to the Six Nations since I was very, very small and first understood rugby.
“I got very excited at this time of year, Christmas over and get very excited for Six Nations, nearly at game day, which is great.
“I think everyone is excited, it’s always a great buzz, everyone is optimistic for the competition ahead and buzzing for it.
“England, with the history and everything, was always the big one.
“It was always the one you’d be the most stressed watching and the most excited if you won.”
But the more relaxed JVDF will not get stressed tomorrow as he runs out against England, admitting he now tries to savour the occasion.
The Wicklow man, who will join Ryan Baird and captain Caelan Doris in the back row, added: “That’s another thing, even running out on the pitch, I smile to myself, ‘This is cool’, know what I mean?
“Before I would always be a bit afraid, don’t even think of the crowd, whereas now I would think, ‘This is unbelievable, my family is in there’. You’re just able to really enjoy it.”
