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The Irish Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Josh van der Flier recalls hilarious first memory of the British & Irish Lions from his childhood
JOSH van der Flier accidentally taped over a home movie to record the Lions' 2005 whitewash by the All Blacks. But the Ireland flanker is hoping his family can watch footage of a series triumph in Australia this summer. 3 The former UCD RFC player missed out on Lions selection in 2017 and 2021 3 The Leinster flanker returned from injury to score a try in the URC final 3 The Wicklow native has a funny memory around the 2005 edition of the Lions Credit: Sportsfile The Wicklow native, 32, was Before departing for Down Under last Saturday, van der Flier helped host a training session for 90 kids in UCD. And VDF revealed how there was a VHS mishap as the then-12-year-old attempted to record the The Leinster star explained: 'We didn't have the channels in my house but my grandparents lived across the road, so we would go and watch the Lions. Read more on Irish sport 'I would have been quite young. I distinctly remember 2005. We had a family video and we taped over it by mistake! It was Lions against New Zealand that year, would that be right? We didn't have the TV channels and it was on cassettes. 'It was either that or Star Wars or something! It wouldn't have been something I verbalised but I watched games on TV. 'Then you go straight out to the garden and you pretend to be someone who is playing for the Lions or Ireland. It's probably the pinnacle.' Van der Flier made his Leinster debut in 2014 and earned his first Ireland cap in 2016 against England, going on to make 72 appearances in the green jersey since. Most read in Rugby Union But for a time in 2021, he was behind his Leinster team-mate Will Connors in Andy Farrell's Ireland pecking order. A knee injury ruled Connors out for the 2022 season and opened the door for van der Flier, who grabbed the opportunity with both hands. 'Big weekend' - Peter O'Mahony embarking on hectic gardening project as he aims to add '300 plants' So the flanker recognises how much of an achievement it is to get the Lions nod from Farrell now. He said: It's hard to compare with playing for your country. But it is a very hard thing to do. It's pretty cool.' The Lions face Australia in the first Test at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on July 19. Farrell's troops will travel to Melbourne a week later 26 for a clash at the MCG before the final Test takes place in Sydney on August 2. Should Van der Flier start, he will be doing his best to counteract a game-plan devised by Australia chief Joe Schmidt, who gave him his Ireland bow nine years ago. Having faced Schmidt's Wallabies Van der Flier said: 'They were pretty impressive when we played them in November. 'Joe is an incredible coach. He will have them very well organised and with a few tricks up their sleeve as well. It will be a big challenge.'
The 42
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'It was the Lions or Star Wars' - Van der Flier raring to go in Perth
THEY DIDN'T HAVE all the good channels in Josh van der Flier's house when he was growing up, so he used to have to go elsewhere to watch the Lions. The handy thing was that his grandparents had Sky and only lived across the road in Wicklow. Good memories, although van der Flier recalls one mishap in 2005. 'We had a family video and we taped over it by mistake,' he says. 'So we used to watch that over and over again. 'We didn't have the TV channels at home, it was just cassettes. So it was either that or Star Wars or something. So I ended up watching a lot of that 2005 Lions game.' Van der Flier is hoping this year's Lions have a better time of it in Australia than the '05 crew did in New Zealand. He's now in Perth with Andy Farrell's squad and will almost certainly make his Lions debut on Saturday against the Western Force. Having played in the URC final with Leinster, van der Flier didn't feature in last Friday's defeat to Argentina in Dublin before the Lions left for Australia. So he will be raring to get going this weekend. Advertisement 'It's probably the pinnacle,' says van der Flier of being a Lion. 'It's hard to compare with playing for your country but it is a very hard thing to do, so it's pretty cool.' Van der Flier at Lions training in Hale School, Perth. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Van der Flier missed out on selection in Warren Gatland's squad four years ago when the Lions went to South Africa. He seemed much more of a sure thing this time around, given his excellent form for Ireland under Farrell for the past four years, but van der Flier says the squad announcement day in May was an anxious one. 'We finished training at like 1.30pm and the announcement was at 2pm,' says van der Flier. 'I didn't even bother showering, I was straight out the door because I didn't want to be there in front of loads of lads if guys didn't get picked or if I didn't. 'So I just went home. My wife actually FaceTimed me, so we watched it together.' With the Lions announcement day involving a lengthy preamble and with the forwards and backs eventually being named alphabetically, van der Flier had a long wait. 'I was sitting there, sweating on the couch. 'You have a good idea of how squads are made up, so you obviously need specialised lineout back rows, maybe one or two sevens. And then there was like four sevens and my name hadn't been called and you think, 'Oh no,' but I made it in the end.' Van der Flier played for Leinster against Zebre just a few days after being named in the Lions squad and admits initially 'you're probably fighting a bit mentally' to stay focused on the job at hand. Yet the URC knock-outs made it impossible to think ahead to the Lions tour as van der Flier and Leinster narrowed in on ending their wait for silverware. Van der Flier in UCD last week. Andrew Conan / INPHO Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO The 32-year-old had a brief injury scare when he hurt his hamstring during Leinster's quarter-final win over the Scarlets. 'I had never hurt my hamstring before, but it didn't feel too bad, to be honest,' he says. 'I had no reference point. It ended up being a small little thing, I got a knee in the back of it, I think. But the unknown was still… I was hoping it was alright. Thankfully, it was.' He missed Leinster's semi-final win over Glasgow and then returned to the starting XV for the final victory over the Bulls, scoring a try in a typically effective 80-minute performance. That 'brilliant' success meant he was delayed in getting into Lions camp until last week. Having watched Wales' Jac Morgan get the first shot in the number seven shirt against the Pumas, van der Flier will be keen to get going this Saturday. Tom Curry, Henry Pollock, and Ben Earl are all options at openside too, but van der Flier is a man on a mission.
Extra.ie
05-06-2025
- General
- Extra.ie
Clock ticking for Ireland to sort out their problem position
Ireland have named a decent squad for their summer outings against Georgia and Portugal, a progressive party laced with youth and just the right amount of experience. With 15 frontliners away on Lions duty, there is a rare opportunity for fringe players to hold their hands up in a way that could be highly significant come the next World Cup in two years' time. Paul O'Connell will bring a young Ireland squad on tour to play Georgia and Portugal this summer. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan Especially when you consider that eight of those Irish Lions (Aki, Lowe, Gibson-Park, Furlong, Beirne, Ringrose, Conan, Ringrose and Van der Flier) are in their 30s and not guaranteed to be in the mix come Australia 2027. Plenty to play for then and a selection that has pretty much all audition bases covered. However, the one area causing concern when looking through this squad is the ongoing issue of who is next up at openside if anything should happen to Josh van der Flier? The likes of James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Furlong are all in their 30s and there may be spots available at the next World cup. Pic: INPHO Ireland have seemed uncertain as to who covers for Van der Flier for around four years now and have been fortunate that the 32-year-old has been so durable and available over that period. The most like for like player in the Irish system is Leinster's Scott Penney, but he is not named in the squad. Nor is fellow Leinster openside Will Connors — who was in favour at the start of Andy Farrell's Ireland reign but has fallen away since for injury and other reasons. Nor is there a place for John Hodnett — Munster first choice in the No7 jersey for some time and a player battle hardened by exposure to high pressure Champions Cup and URC rugby but one who has become something of a cause célèbre omission by Ireland over the years. Josh van der Flier has been first choice No7 for Ireland for some time. Pic: Sportsfile Instead, it is Hodnett's understudy at Munster, Alex Kendellen, who is named in this Ireland squad as the only specialist openside flanker. Kendellen is a fine player and has performed well for his province, primarily off the bench, for some seasons but there has been no concerted clamour for Kendellen's elevation to the international stage the way there has been with Hodnett and, even if he goes well on this tour, it is clear the No7 depth issue remains a live one. Nick Timoney is the other openside option in the squad and the Ulster flanker is a player who looks to have all the tools needed for international rugby. John Hodnett of Munster has not made the touring party. Pic: Sportsfile The problem is that Timoney is not a natural No7, although he has plenty of experience in that position, and he is more of a six-and-a-half David Wallace style openside — very different in style to Van der Flier. He will also be 32 come the next World Cup. The problem of talented players not getting enough exposure is an ongoing headache for Irish rugby and it has cost Scott Penney in this instance. Opportunity knocks for Munster's Alex Kendellen. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland It has opened a door for Kendellen this summer but the fact he cannot force his way into the Munster starting team raises questions about his ability to step through that door. One hopes he can because it is clear Ireland have a real issue at openside and the clock is ticking.
RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Josh van der Flier: 'It's hard to get my head around'
Josh van Flier's head is still in a spin as he digests the news he will be part of Andy Farrell's 38-man British and Irish Lions squad for the tour of Australia this summer. Fifteen Irish players have made the cut, 12 of them from Leinster, including 32-year-old Van der Flier. He's spent all year trying to ignore the hype and build-up around the Lions. On Thursday, he could ignore it no longer - for the first time, Van der Flier is a Lion. "It's hard to get my head around to be honest," Van der Flier told RTÉ 2fm's Game On. "I finished training and was obviously focused on training and tried not to think about it too much. It's incredibly special. My phone's been hopping, a lot of family and friends texting. "What's really special is you see what it means to your family and everything but even having past coaches, people who coached me in Wicklow Rugby Club, in Wesley my school, in UCD and in Leinster as well. "It's kind of nice for what it means to everyone else. I'm delighted with myself, very happy." It was a nervy day for Van der Flier and all those players who were in contention to be selected. "I spoke to Jack Conan (Thursday) morning because he'd obviously been selected the last time," Van der Flier said. "With Ireland, you get an email just before it comes out. You kind of have an idea before the teams are announced, whereas he was like, 'no you've got to watch it, and you've got to wait and see if your name comes up'. "It was tough. I've never really been too bothered by being the last in the alphabet normally, but this time around it was quite stressful. I tried to be as relaxed as I could but it was still a little stressful watching. "We finished training and we had lunch. Lunch was going to coincide with when the annoucement was. "I just grabbed my lunch to take away and went straight home to watch it on my own. I had my wife Sophie on FaceTime. She was watching it in work, I was talking to her on FaceTime throughout it. It was a very nice moment." The Lions will take on Australia in a three-Test series, the first of which is in Brisbane on 19 July, before Tests in Melbourne on 26 July and and Sydney on 2 August. The magnitude of being selected is still hitting Van der Flier, who added: "It's very much a pinnacle in rugby. "It's so different to being picked for your country. It's obviously an unbelievable honour to play for your country but to be selected, including all the other nations that are involved in it, is pretty special. "I'm very happy to be a part of it. "I just turned 32 last week. I could play until I'm 36 but I suppose there wouldn't be many 36-year-olds who'd be in contention for the Lions, so I'm kind of thinking that way... there's not many chances left to get on a Lions tour. "I've watched these throughout the years. Even when I was younger you watched the squad being named and you're kind of like, 'oh I like that player, that's a good player, I'm happy to see them', all these kind of things. "When you know the lads as friends, and you see how hard they work, the effort they put in, how much it means to their family going to support every game... you're just as happy for them as a person."
RTÉ News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'If it happens, it happens' - Josh van der Flier on Lions call-up
Josh van der Flier reckons he will be "training away", fully focussed on this weekend's BKT URC tie against Zebre when the Lions squad is announced tomorrow. The Ireland flanker can rest easy. Since missing out on Warren Gatland's touring party four years ago, Van der Flier has picked up European and World Rugby player of the year awards and two Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam. The 32-year-old has been one of Leinster and Ireland's most consistent performers and, but for the illegal intervention of a Northampton Saint on Saturday, would likely have scored a famous match-winning hat-trick try to get his side back into the Champions Cup final. Andy Farrell will announce his squad tomorrow afternoon at 2pm and despite competition from the likes of Jack Conan, Jac Morgan, Tom and Ben Curry, Sam Underhill, Tom and Jack Willis, Ben Earl, Courtney Lawes and Northampton Saints bolter Henry Pollock, it would be a huge shock if the Wicklow man missed out. "We have training on Thursday, so I'd say I'll be training away," Van der Flier told RTÉ Sport. "I'm not sure how it's announced. "I've heard of lads finding out on the TV. I assume it will be like that but I'm not really thinking too much about it, to be honest. "I feel I've tried my hardest. I [decided] at the start of the season that I'd try not to have it in my mind too much, if it happens it happens. "I'll be training away on Thursday, prepping for Zebre. "Try to stay focussed on that [but] it would be a huge honour to be involved." Van der Flier's team-mate, Leinster and Ireland skipper Caelan Doris, looks set to miss out with a shoulder injury that requires surgery. The number 8 had been touted as a possible tour captain. Leinster expect more details on the extent of his injury and recovery time later this week. The Lions begin their preparations with a game in Dublin on 20 June against Argentina, with the first of three Tests against Australia on 19 August. "He's probably the best player in Ireland the last couple of years," said Van der Flier of Doris. "He's been a brilliant captain; he's an amazing leader. "What he does so well is he plays with such ferocity and intensity, but he's unbelievably calm in the way he communicates. "It's always tough to see someone like that getting injured. Hopefully we'll be seeing him involved in the rest of the season." Farrell will have been impressed with Pollock's performance at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. The 20-year-old Saints flanker was all-action, winning turnovers, conceding penalties, including one for barging into Van der Flier, and scoring the try of the game, a weaving run-in from 50 metres. Van der Flier said: "There's a lot of talent. I suppose the way he plays the game; it suits the way they play. "[He] comes up with some really big moments in attack and defence. He's not afraid to push the limits of the law, which is good. "I mean, we would have seen the likes of Richie McCaw would have been very good at it, where you're happy to risk giving away penalties, but you obviously get the odd turnover as well. "It's a balance, and he seems to have got away with it quite often. "It takes a lot of risks, but it's fair play to him. He seems a great talent in fairness to him, and he's done well." Meanwhile, Van der Flier has backed Sam Prendergast after the out-half was outshone by his Saints counterpart, Fin Smith, in the semi-final. "Sam's been brilliant for us," said the back row, who has 73 Ireland caps. "He's a good leader already among the group. He's unbelievably talented. I thought he did quite well on the weekend. "He managed the game well. Just, I suppose, a few moments that let us down as a team. "We probably let him down ourselves, I suppose. "He's a tough fella and I think all of us have made mistakes on the weekend and all of us will want to be better again."
