Jamie Osborne’s reaction to late Lions nod? He followed the template for Irish sons and called his mum
Leinster and Ireland player was preparing to close out his season when he was summoned to Australia
Josh Van Der Flier
Gerry Thornley: If anything there could have been more Irish in Lions side for first Test
Injuries to Hansen and Ringrose curtailed Lions’ green brigade
Gordon D’Arcy: Time for Lions and Wallabies to leave the ‘meh’ behind and make some real magic
Everything that’s happened up to now – Australia’s narrow win over Fiji, Lions’ loss to Argentina – fades into the background as Test series begins
Close calls to be made on Bundee Aki and Andrew Porter as Lions’ first Test team takes shape
Make-up of the backrow appears to be the most difficult puzzle to crack, especially at openside
Matt Williams: Owen Farrell could prove a clever pick for the Lions
Australia must try something abominable against Andy Farrell’s team
Tadhg Beirne to lead the Lions in final warm-up game before Test series
Hugo Keenan gets chance to stake his claim at fullback against AUNZ Invitational XV
Gerry Thornley: As Lions phoney war nears an end, Irish players push hard to dominate first Test line-up
Andy Farrell was comfortable in the knowledge that his team should have beaten Brumbies by more than 12
Which Irish players have impressed for the Lions?
The Counter Ruck podcast: British and Irish Lions take on Reds in Queensland next
Josh van der Flier: ‘Playing for the Lions is a very hard thing to do, so it’s pretty cool’
Having missed out on the 2017 and 2021 Lions tours, the Leinster man is eager to make his mark this time
Leinster coach Leo Cullen on facing Bulls: ‘We know we’re in for a serious bloody challenge’
URC final: Leinster hope Bulls clash will be a positive send-off for Jordie Barrett and Ross Byrne
Leinster’s Leo Cullen brings in Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier to face Bulls in URC final
Ross Byrne named on the bench in final Leinster appearance before he joins Gloucester
Leinster monitoring Lions quartet ahead of URC final
Josh van der Flier, Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan and Tadhg Furlong will be assessed later this week
Leinster primed and ready to take the Bulls by the horns in URC final
Leo Cullen says Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose are back in selection mix for Croke Park encounter
Leinster hopeful Josh van der Flier will be fit for Glasgow clash
Ringrose and Tommy O’Brien will be monitored before decision for URC semi-final
Gerry Thornley: Josh van der Flier’s contest with Henry Pollock an intriguing Lions sub-plot
At 32 this is set to be Van der Flier’s last chance to make tour but 20-year-old Pollock could have a say in that
Gordon D’Arcy: As an ex-pro, to see players not bothered is sobering
It is a privilege to play professional sport; you never know how long it will last and I think it is time players reminded themselves of that fact
Rhapsody in blue as Leinster attack finally fires on all cylinders
Tyler Bleyendaal can take a lot of credit for the lovely shape and potency of Leinster’s attacking display
Josh van der Flier: ‘A day before the game, I’d have a doughnut or a couple of cookies. It helps me relax'
Ireland’s openside flanker says he’s found the sweet spot for battling pre-match anxiety
Josh van der Flier: ‘I’m very blessed that I’m still going. Hopefully I can be like Cian Healy’
Leinster forward is 31 years old and counts himself lucky that he has been able to avoid serious injury and is still able to play
South Africa 24 Ireland 25: How the players rated in Durban
Ciarán Frawley’s late drop goal secures a memorable, series-levelling victory for Ireland at Kings Park
‘The hotel staff started speaking Afrikaans’ - Josh van der Flier shrugs off local confusion as Ireland eye up Springboks
‘They try and make it personal in terms of confrontation … It’s very much a physical test, who is man enough to take you on one-on-one?’
X executive collars Irish data protection commissioners for chat in Madrid
Sports injury specialist Ray Moran’s vote of confidence in his own knees, Albert Manifold’s planning setbacks, and the IRFU’s home extensions
Leinster v Northampton: How the players rated at Croke Park
Jamison Gibson-Park, Caelan Doris and James Lowe the standout players as Leinster make final
Leinster opt for Will Connors over Josh van der Flier ahead of quarter-final date with La Rochelle
Leo Cullen makes two changes to the starting XV which beat Leicester Tigers in last weekend’s round of 16 victory
Van der Flier has endured his share of grief at the hands of La Rochelle
Leinster openside lost only two games last season, but loss to La Rochelle hit hard
Leinster bring back Ireland stars for top of the table clash with the Bulls
James Lowe and Josh van der Flier among 11 players who took part in Ireland’s Six Nations triumph set to start Friday night’s game at the RDS
Six Nations: Ireland left to rue bringing the best out of England
Ireland’s attack failed to flow but they still got themselves into a winning position before letting it slip
Six Nations: Josh van der Flier keeps his standards high as Ireland fall to England
Whether in defence or attack, Ireland’s open-side flanker made his presence felt at Twickenham
France win a continuation of Ireland’s strengths prior to World Cup loss, says Josh van der Flier
‘What have we learned from New Zealand? What have we been doing well? It’s almost a continuation on from where the squad has been’
Josh van der Flier - ‘Jacques Nienaber inspires you, I’d be going into a game wanting to defend for him’
Leinster backrow responds to being left out for La Rochelle victory with player-of-the-match display vs Sale
Josh van der Flier eager to return to active service with Leinster
Leinster's Josh van der Flier looking forward to working with new defence coach Jacques Nienaber
Rugby World Cup: Ireland come out of South Africa epic with clean bill of health
Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty reports no obvious injuries after 13-8 win over Springboks
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
The GlossOpens in new window
Read the digital edition of The Gloss magazine now
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices