“I’m determined to enjoy what I’m doing and love every minute of however long that I’ve got left,” said Farrell, who will start at 12 for the Lions.

“I’m not old yet. Johnny played forever and I’m obviously a half-back as well. There’s loads left in us and I’m just determined to enjoy it. I’ve come back to make the most of what I am doing. We’ll see what happens.”

“There’s times where people can say this, that and the other and it just goes over your head. And there’s times where you’re not in the best place of all time and you’re almost waiting for something to set you off.

“I understand that it’s different now. I understand that times are different … sometimes [social media] catches fire and just takes a life of its own. It goes wherever it goes and there’s momentum behind it. But I don’t always understand it, no.

“If you go and knock on someone’s door and ask them their opinion of how you played at the weekend, you wouldn’t really listen to their answer. Both [good and bad reactions on social media] are a poison. That’s not to say it’s all bad but the things that should matter to me and to us as players are the people that matter to us.”

“The people I think we should listen to are proper rugby people. Your mates … they’ll give you a real answer. If you’re in a good place yourself then you can deal with it. There’s obviously a lot of external factors that can creep in but ultimately it’s up to me how I am. Making sure I’m looking after myself, making sure I’m giving myself a break at times.

“I’m not someone who needs revving up too much. It’s normally the other way, of coming back down and relaxing. So having some perspective and making sure I look after myself in that way will, I think, lead to me being more myself.”