Josh van der Flier praises former Bok coach Jacques Nienaber's impact at Leinster

The Ireland international noted that while he has worked with coaches from Ireland, England, and Wales, Nienaber brings a distinct mindset centered around team unity.  

"He's got a lot of insights into how he's managed to get the best out of the players who have played with him. He's obviously worked with some of the best players in the world, and, as a double World Cup winner, you know what he teaches works," Van der Flier told Planet Rugby.

"From a non-technical point of view, he's a very good motivator. He's great at getting you in the right frame of mind and, really importantly, he expects you to work as a teammate to others, something key within the Springboks as we saw in 2023. He talks about how you should behave as a teammate."

The former Bok coach is a strong motivator who emphasizes the importance of players supporting each other, even when they are not selected.  

"With long campaigns like we're in, at any time in the season, there's always 23 lads who are delighted to be playing, but then you have another 25 lads or so who are very disappointed to be left out. Jacques is really good at making sure the mindset of the whole group is focused and as one."

Nienaber has added significant value to Leinster's defense, but Van der Flier believes his biggest impact is in fostering the right attitude within the squad.

"From a technical point of view, he adds a huge amount in terms of individual things in defence and tackling, but his real unique selling point is within the team environment. He adds so much in terms of the attitude people should have, and that's motivating for the whole group."

With Nienaber and fellow South African RG Snyman now part of Leinster, Van der Flier sees an opportunity to draw from their World Cup-winning experience.

"We have Jacques and RG Snyman to bring their huge knowledge now. They've obviously both won the World Cup, and Jordie Barrett's had a lot of success with New Zealand over a long period of time as well, so there's a lot of winning experience we can draw on within the group."

As Leinster continues its push for silverware, Van der Flier believes Nienaber's leadership will be key in helping the squad overcome the fine margins that have cost them in recent seasons.

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