British and Irish Lions 2017: Owen Farrell having to make do without father-son pep talks in New Zealand

Farrell will get his first Test start for the Lions on Saturday

Farrell stops for a selfie after the Lions victory over the Chiefs (Getty )

Owen Farrell should have had a far more straight-forward Father’s Day than his team-mates. Because, unlike the rest of the Lions – who had to resort to expressing their best wishes on video calls – the fly-half's dad also happens to be on tour in New Zealand.

But finding the right time to sidle up to Andy without being mercilessly ribbed by his team-mates presented its own set of complications.

“I didn’t know when to say it to him because I didn’t want to say it in front of anyone” Owen said sheepishly when quizzed on what he did last Sunday. “Everybody else got some video messages but they didn’t ask me to do one, so I was a bit gutted about that.”

In fact, Farrell has been spending very little time with his father while touring around New Zealand with the rest of his team-mates. For this summer at least, Andy is not 'dad' but the defensive coach, and Owen is not 'son' but a Lion.

Asked if they’ve spoken much, Farrell admitted: “Not too much as my dad, no. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him this tour as my dad. No, just as anyone else would as a player and a coach.”

And what little conversation there has been between the pair has been strictly business.

“There are lots of little conversations that go on, making sure everything is covered,” Owen added.

“Not all of it goes on in meetings and in front of everyone, he could just be grabbing you as you’re walking past or on your computer or have little chats about what’s coming up. ‘Have you thought of this or how would you deal with this situation?’”

But does that mean there will be no last-minute father-son pep talk just before kick-off at Eden Park?

Farrell smiles. “I’ve never had one before so…”

Farrell will play an important role in the first Test against New Zealand (Getty)

But despite his famously brusque personality, Owen is all too aware how much he owes his old man, who was regarded as one of the fiercest men to have ever played rugby league before he switched codes. His union career didn’t quite hit the same heights, but he is now making up for it with his coaching endeavours in the 15-man game.

And how different his son’s career would have been had he not decided to up sticks from Wigan, move south to Watford and embark on his union career with Saracens.

There was a time during Owen’s childhood when he played rugby league and dreamed of featuring for the Great Britain international side in the 13-man game. That quickly changed after the big move down south.

“It depends when you spoke to me,” he adds when asked about his rugby ambitions as a boy. “When I was a youngster, yeah I was into league, but I was still pretty young when I moved down south. I got into union pretty quickly.”

He cites watching Brian O’Driscoll’s famous try during the 2001 series against Australia, as a nine-year-old, as a key moment in his conversion from a league wannabe to a union prospect. On Saturday, sixteen years after that moment, he will get his own chance to write history in his first Test start for the tourists.

Belated Father’s Day gifts don’t get much better than that.