Owen Farrell has said that he does not understand the social media “poison” as he looked ahead to the British and Irish Lions’ game against the First Nations and Pasifika XV.
The tourists continue their Australian campaign with another fixture to follow up their 29-17 victory over the Wallabies in their first Test in Brisbane last weekend.
Farrell, a late arrival into the squad after an injury to Elliot Daly against the Queensland Reds, has been named captain by head coach and his father Andy Farrell for Tuesday’s game.
Eligible for selection once more after returning to Saracens from Racing 92, Farrell is now embarking on his fourth Lions tour, and he has been out of Test rugby for 20 months as a result of his move to France.
When the fly-half was called up, there was some resistance from many within the rugby sphere. However, Farrell does not understand why he is such a divisive figure.
"Not really, no," he replied when asked if he understood the phenomenon of social media discourse. "But I understand that it's different now. I understand times are different and things catch fire quicker.
"Things grow legs, take a life of their own, go wherever they go and there's momentum behind them. But no, I don't always understand it.
"Both are a poison. The good and the bad. Not to say that it's all bad, but the things that should matter to me and should matter to us as players are the people that matter to us.
"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.
"It depends what place you're in at the time because there are times where people can say this, that and the other and it just goes over your head.
"There are times where you're not in the best place of all time and you're almost waiting for something to set you off."
Farrell emphasised that he would prioritise taking advice from “proper rugby people”.
"I guess the people I think we should listen to are the proper rugby people - your mates,” he continued. “Not that those people will just pat you on the back.”
The Lions have their game against the Pasifika XV on Wednesday before their second Test against Australia on Saturday.
