No time to rest on individual achievements for European Player of the Year Josh van der Flier

'Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad, but I've always been quite critical of myself, I guess,' The current European Player of the Year said.

STILL LEARNING: Leinster’s Josh van der Flier. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The plaudits may have been heading Josh van der Flier’s way with increasing frequency these past couple of seasons but the Ireland and Leinster flanker is savvy enough to realise that every award adds to the number of rivals looking to cut him down to size.

A barnstorming series against the All Blacks this summer will have only intensified the laser beam targeting the back of his jersey when he returns to Leinster in the coming weeks as the BKT United Rugby Championship campaign gets underway.