As the saying goes in boxing, styles make fights.
As we move towards tomorrow's first Test between Ireland and South Africa in Pretoria, it appears that applies off the pitch as well as on it.
While Rassie Erasmus has been embracing his caricature as rugby's mischief-maker, his opposite number has been staying silent.
Last Saturday, the South Africa head coach lit the fuse for the week when he published what he expected would be Ireland's matchday squad for this week's opener at Loftus Versfeld, before a blockbuster of a press conference on Tuesday where he cracked jokes and held the room in front of him on a string.
Farrell kept his counsel until Thursday, when he gave his own press conference after naming his team for Saturday's game, and included a major surprise by picking debutant Jamie Osborne at full-back.
And while the Ireland coach has never been one to engage in back and forth mind games, he admits he's been enjoying it from afar.
"It's hilarious! It's brilliant," he said, when asked about the Springbok coach's (above) use of social media.
"You think it’s good? So do I. It’s hilarious, like. Why not? Why not? I don’t think nothing of it. I think it’s good, it’s interesting.
"There’s a few spelling mistakes there, a few weights that were wrong, but I thought it was great."
There's likely to be a razor-sharp edge to Saturday's game at Loftus, with South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe all stoking the flames in recent months since the sides last met at the World Cup in 2023.
And while the meeting of the world's top two ranked sides has been billed as a 'grudge match' of sorts, Farrell insists there's a healthy rivalry and respect between the sides.
"It doesn't get any bigger, really, does it?
"I'm not on social media, but I know there's a hype out there. I get told by him [head of communications Peter Breen] that it's happening.
"It's brilliant, it's what we want. If you try and shy away from that you're in the wrong team for a start. Certainly, you'll be in the wrong place on Saturday as well.
"We are all doing the same thing, aren't we? We are all trying to win top level Test matches. We all understand the pressures that come with that.
"From our point of view there is nothing but respect for what they have done, continued to do and achieve. The record speaks for itself so how can you not have respect?
"It's funny that now the games have come around, one talks about the 'rivalry' but we haven’t played much [against each other] at all.
"Again, we have always said that the more that we play the top teams the better it is going to be for us. We tend to only get the consistency of that through the Autumn Series for one game really.
"To be able to come over here and see how passionate people are, why they love the Springboks so much and why they are so powerful to the people in South Africa, it’s a privilege for us to be able to come over here and feel that," he added.
While Ireland picked up a second successive Six Nations title, the way the campaign ended for the four provinces has clouded the expectation of some supporters, particularly with this series capping off a 13-month rugby season.
But Farrell insists they have no fears of the side lacking physical or emotional energy.
"Not for one second, that's the god's honest truth. You'd expect me to say that anyway, wouldn't you? But that's the god's honest truth.
"It's never been mentioned once. This is not an end of season tour for us, it's a special opportunity in front of our face and it's exactly the same when a big opportunity comes around.
"It were never, ever mentioned that it was the end of the season going to New Zealand. The lads have done an unbelievable amount of hard work, you'd think it's the start of the season, not the end.
"They're in great spirits, they've trained hard and put the work in. The preparation has been great. As far as that's concerned, it tells me they're in great form."
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