Owen Farrell hopes to make up for Heineken Cup misery with Premiership Grand Final and Lions glory "He stayed up in London," says Farrell junior. He was busy in the run-up and I only got a phone call from him on his way back [from the Lions squad announcement]. I shouldn't be any different to anyone else. I had no idea about it. The story goes that Farrell went to kick on his own instead of facing the announcement live. It was not so. "I was doing that session anyway," says Farrell. But not that it diluted the frisson he felt. "I'm so excited about it," he says, "It's that big I can't get my head around it. There are so many legends going on the tour that you can't wait to see how they work and what they are like, and hopefully get to know them. It is a massive thing for me. I've said this before: it's the biggest tour in rugby by a mile. There is no bigger accolade. And this despite his rugby league upbringing? "It's a bit newer to me than to some," he says, " but I've watched all the videos, like "Living with Lions." There is no chance of me not knowing about it. Seeing the Lions more recently sticks in my mind. I watched the last two Tests in the pub with my Dad in 2009. Four years ago - when Farrell was just 17? "I didn't say I was drinking beer," he laughs. Farrell is on good form. He may not be the most loquacious of interviewees, but there is a solidity to his character that manifests itself on the rugby field. For instance, ask him about his youth and he replies: "All I know is that I am still getting better and I have still got a long, long way to go." This afternoon his Saracens side face Northampton in an Aviva Premiership semi-final, with Farrell set to start at inside-centre owing to Brad Barritt's absence through injury. Saracens did bounce back last weekend by beating Bath, but is there still the worry of a Toulon hangover on the big occasion? "No," retorts Farrell. That loss made us focus harder. There were chances left out there but it was a game we felt we could have won. We felt like we fronted up. And if you are talking about playing against the best teams in Europe, it was up there. Saracens have beaten Northampton twice in the Premiership already this season, but it is always a fixture that possesses a spicy rivalry for a variety of reasons; from Chris Ashton's move between the clubs to an incident three years ago, when Saracens peeved Saints with a raucous rendition of their victory song, a cricketing tradition suggested to club Chairman Nigel Wray by his friend, the former Australia batsman, Justin Langer. Farrell never shies from on-field niggle, but he is not about to invite it beforehand. "It will be the same as two other good teams going at each other," he says. We want to get stuck into each other. That is how rivalry goes. Saracens finished top of the table in the regular season and were widely tipped to pip Toulon. To finish with nothing now would be a calamity, surely? "Something that is always talked about here is the memories through the season," says Farrell. It is not about the win, lose or draw. It is about how everybody works hard for each other and how we are all good mates and we all get on. It really is true. We have had a brilliant season, but we are going out to put in one of our best performances and that will be another unbelievable memory. And Farrell may have some memory bank come the end of the summer.