'It is strange': Ireland star reacts to 'pleasing' Player of the Year nomination
Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier said it was both “pleasing” and “strange” to be nominated for World Rugby’s Mens 15s Player of the Year in the middle of a Test match week.
Van der Flier could potentially become just the third Irishman to be crowned the world’s best rugby player at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco this weekend.
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton could also join an illustrious list of players to have won the award twice after winning it for the first time 2018.
While French captain Antoine Dupont is chasing the same piece of history, the star halfback could also become just the third player to win the award in back-to-back years.
The fourth nominee is South Africa’s Lukhanyo Am, which is somewhat surprising considering he’s only played five Test matches this year.
The World Rugby Awards are set to return to a physical format this week, but there are still Test matches to be played before the focus can shift towards individual recognition.
But van der Flier said it was “nice” to receive some recognition for his “hard work” in the Test arena this season – which included an historic series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand.
“I suppose it’s nice to get reward for hard work,” van der Flier said.
“Things have probably gone my way a good bit this year, kind of get the bounce of the ball here and there.
“But it is strange. We’re in the middle of a Test match week and it’s obviously a nice thing personally but have to switch on pretty quickly to get prepped for Australia.
“If you’re nominated in the off-season you kind of have a bit more time to think over it, but I guess for the moment it’s focusing on trying to put in another good performance as a team this weekend.”
Ireland have been particularly impressive this year, and are considered to be among the favourites for next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.
Irish duo Dan Sheehan and Mack Hansen were both nominated for the Breakthrough Player of the Year award, while Andy Farrell is in the running to be crowned the world’s best coach.
“It’s a testament to Andy and the coaching that they’ve managed to bring out the best in a lot of us. When the team does well, all the other players, everyone who’s playing looks better then as well,” van der Flier added.
“We think we have a really good group at the moment and with the quality of player in each position, I think when you have that amount of quality and good players, it just makes everyone around them look good as well.
“It’s nice especially for Any as well, he’s been brilliant in developing the group and trying to help us improve as much as we can. It’s great for him as well to be nominated.”
Ireland have one more Test match to play in the Autumn Nations Series, and it’s blockbuster against the Wallabies in Dublin.
Aviva Stadium is set to host another enthralling contest between two rugby nations with a point to prove.
Ireland started their November internationals with a hard-fought 19-16 win over reigning World Cup champions South Africa, before a convincing win over Fiji last weekend.
Playing with the pressure and expectation of being considered the world’s best team, Ireland are looking to finish their year “with our best performance.”
“Definitely very motivated to play what will also be a very good Australian side.
“We’re certainly very excited to try and finish with our best performance. It (has) certainly been a focus to try and keep improving week on week.
“There will be things we want to finish form last weekend and definitely want to finish this block of games with a performance that we can be proud of that will hopefully set us up well for the Six Nations.
“When a team loses you see that there is weaknesses there, but probably more so you see that they’re going to be pretty fired up and annoyed having lost.
“You sometimes get that kickback reaction so certainly be expecting a very fired up Australian team I reckon.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
21 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
21 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
21 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
21 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
21 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
21 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
21 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
21 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
21 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments