Four Saints players were named in Farrell’s squad with Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith all joining Pollock, who watched the announcement with a number of his team-mates.

“I walked out of the room and tried to phone my mum, who didn’t pick up which was class,” he joked.

“I then called mum and dad and they were balling their eyes out crying.

“I am just so happy that I’ve made them happy, I am honoured.”

Pollock was selected instead of Toulouse flanker Jack Willis, Sale Sharks’ Ben Curry and Scotland’s Rory Darge, with Farrell admitting that, in the end, he did not need convincing about selecting the one-cap flanker.

An all-action display on both sides of the ball against Leinster, who have 12 players heading on the Lions tour, showed Pollock can compete with the best and he plans to show that in Australia.

He faces tough back row competition in Ireland’s Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier, England pair Tom Curry and Ben Earl, and Wales captain Jac Morgan, but remains confident of adding value.

“It is the pinnacle of the sport and everything that you work for and want to achieve in rugby,” he added.

“I hope to bring a different X-factor and just be myself. I am not going to go there and go into my shell, I am just going to be myself and hopefully bring a different side to the squad than other players.”