Ireland flank edge Kolbe for Nations Series Award
NEWS: Ireland flank Josh van der Flier has been crowned the Player of the Series for the 2024 November internationals.
The result follows a fan vote that saw him narrowly edge South African wing Cheslin Kolbe.
Van der Flier secured 37 percent of the vote, with Kolbe hot on his heels behind on 34 percent – highlighting just how impactful both players were during this year’s campaign.
The other nominees in this category were World Rugby breakthrough player of the year Wallace Sititi and France’s Thomas Ramos.
The 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year has long been regarded as one of the most consistently high-performing player in the game, and this campaign only reinforced the Leinster forward’s standing.
Across a series in which Ireland only grew after a stuttering start against the All Blacks, Van der Flier was at the core of everything.
Against New Zealand in front of a raucous and expectant Landsdowne Road, Van der Flier delivered a masterclass in route-one breakdown work, disrupting the opposition’s flow with his powerful ruck entries and scoring Ireland’s only try – despite going down by 13-23 to the visitors.
He was equally instrumental against Los Pumas, making a game-high 24 tackles and beating three defenders, as well as making 14 carries as Ireland overpowered Argentina by 37-23.
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Against Fiji, the loose forward showcased his versatility, stepping into a more attacking role in an open game, paving the way for his teammates to score and grabbing one himself in a convincing 52-17 win.
In the final clash of the series, a narrow 22-19 win over Australia, Van der Flier was once again on the scoresheet – involved twice in the build-up, no less – and delivered in the tight exchanges, before his involvement in the final breakdown helped clinch victory.
Overall, his stats across the four games in this campaign underline his influence – with three tries, 27 carries, 45 tackles, 101 rucks hit.
As stats from Opta show, the 31-year-old made a combined average of 68 carries, tackles and rucks per 80 minutes – more than any player of any nation to feature for 100 or more minutes.
Van der Flier wasn’t just Ireland’s engine, then, he was it’s heartbeat.
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