Lions ambitions remain but Josh van der Flier focused on keeping it simple for now

Josh van der Flier of Ireland is tackled by Caleb Muntz of Fiji. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

There are some for whom the very mention of the British and Irish Lions in November, over seven months out from their next tour, will act as a red rag to a bull. Time enough for all that, and all. The far side of the next Six Nations at least.

We’d normally be inclined to agree but there’s no escaping the shadow of next year’s series Down Under as Andy Farrell takes charge of Ireland for the last time before switching caps and starting his temporary stint as head man with the historic select side.

That this last game, at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon, throws up the visit of Joe Schmidt’s Australia makes Lions talk all the more unavoidable. And with Ireland expected to be bulk providers in Oz, well, how could we ignore all that?

Josh van der Flier would prefer if we did. All the players would, to be honest. The former world player of the year is one of at least 18 Irish players in the conversation for a touring slot but next summer might as well be the next millennium for now.

"I try not to think about it, to be honest, it's a long way away,” said the flanker who is 31 now and, realistically, has just this one last chance of making the Lions. "There's a lot of games to go, but it's not something we'd thought about a huge amount."

Van der Flier got measured for his red gear in 2017 and in 2021 but failed to make either party. The second of those two decisions was much harder to understand. A year later he was world player of the year.

It is, he admits, an itch he would like to scratch.

“Of course. Anyone playing in any of the teams involved would love to be involved in that team. But, again, it's so far away you almost don't think about them.” 

Van der Flier, like everyone in Ireland camp this week, was more than happy to reminisce about Schmidt’s time in and with Ireland, and his legacy. It was the Kiwi, after all, who gave him his first Test cap back in 2016.

Like most of the testimonials, the Leinster openside touched on the coach’s legendary attention to detail and it is this same trait that has paid dividends for van der Flier on the back of a slightly challenging period on the park.

His form in 2022 when named best in the world was off the charts but that’s hard to sustain. He couldn’t and didn’t. Will Connors was preferred for a couple of key European games with Leinster last season, van der Flier coming in off the bench.

Farrell kept faith through it all but there is a clear upturn in the back row’s performances of late and he credits this to a combination of factors: feeling fresh and fit, playing games and an off-season re-evaluation of his game.

“I talked to a few people about how I could improve, things I could get better at. Trying to find what works best for me. Last year I probably found myself in areas of the game, particularly attacking-wise, where I wasn’t making the most of what I am good at.

“One thing would be trying to be in the pick-and-goes and the tight stuff. If I’m not as heavy as some of the other guys then maybe leave that to the Andrew Porters of this world whereas a bit further out spend a bit more time being the outside forward.

“I would find myself more effective in that area. That is something I have tried to work on as well. I was probably a bit inefficient in some games, trying to work hard all throughout but probably burning more energy than I needed to and then not having the energy at times it was needed.” 

His take on the November at large is interesting. Van der Flier believes Ireland have played a lot of good rugby, New Zealand included, but that the discipline issues which marred that opening game and the follow-up against Argentina made for the biggest obstacle to showing their best.

Paul O’Connell, the Ireland forwards coach, has voiced the need and the determination to excel at the simple things, which is very Joe Schmidt, and van der Flier agrees that all the clever lineouts or backline moves are moot without that.

“When it comes down to it, if you do all those things and you’re not physical or you don’t make your tackles then you won’t do very well. You have to do the basics or the rest of it is irrelevant. That’s where you start.

“You do that then it is the added extras, the moves, the trick plays, the bits of individual skill. That’s how I see it. Make sure as an individual that you are on top of your detail. Know what the opposition is about then keep it simple in the game.” 

Joe would approve.