The Lions captain delivered a confident performance, his handling and distribution skills frequently outmanoeuvring the FNP XV. It was Farrell's chip over the defence that led to Jamie Osborne's first try, and he also assisted van der Merwe in scoring at the corner.

It has been anything but a straightforward process, but finally the British and Irish Lions Test squad is taking shape – and remarkably it seems poised to include Owen Farrell.