Fergus Burke: ‘Owen Farrell was great, but I have to be my own player’ | Saracens

cCertain acts are harder to track than others. Imagine playing Hamlet at the Old Vic with the ghost of Sir Laurence Olivier on your shoulder. Or succeed Sean Connery as the next James Bond. As he prepares for his first home game as Owen Farrell’s heir apparent, Saracens’ new half-player Fergus Burke knows he is stepping into some lofty shoes.

Of course, that immediately creates a dilemma: do you try to be a carbon copy of your predecessor – give or take the Wigan accent – ​​or decide to be your own man? Sitting in St Albans, his newly adopted hometown, 25-year-old Burke has already made up his mind. “When you step into someone else’s role… there is obviously a certain expectation. I’m just trying to park that. Owen was a great player and one of the best this club has ever seen. But I have to be my own player. I can’t think too much about what happened.’

It helps that this is a positive-minded young pretender who enjoys a challenge. As Richie Mo’unga’s protege at the Crusaders, he could have simply been hanging around New Zealand hoping for a future All Black cap. Instead, through his mother Julie – who is from Dover, and Scotland through a grandfather from Glasgow – he has chosen to take the road less traveled and see where it takes him.

The smart money is on “the new Faz” being an asset to any team he represents. He is cheerful and approachable and has certainly embraced British culture quickly. “I love Sunday roasts. Unfortunately, it has become a bit of a habit. I can’t get past the Yorkshire puddings. They are special. They’re so big, they’re amazing.” Trips to central London have also proven to be an eye-opener. “New Zealand is a slow country, especially where I grew up. You get somewhere in no time and it’s fast. Go to London and its chaos. I just love the markets. Even public transport. I’m baffled by it.”

What Saracens fans really want to know, however, is whether this 6ft 2in man from Gisborne can play. On paper, his pedigree is impeccable: New Zealand U20s, a Super Rugby title, smart on the ball, eager in the tackle. “Defense doesn’t require a lot of skill, it just requires a little intention. I like to make sure I have that for the person next to me.”

However, it was something else that convinced Mark McCall, his new director of rugby, to offer him a three-year contract. “When we looked at him, we saw a player who was very composed and calm. We liked that he is not easily rushed or restless. I also spoke to Scott Robertson (the All Blacks head coach) who said he was a player who could take charge of a room and a team. That ability to take a team and get them to where they need to be is not a quality that everyone has.”

But in the end, the last call was Burke’s. Every Kiwi youngster wants to be an All Black and he was getting closer to that dream. Hence his polite request for a second Zoom meeting with the Saracens coaches, followed by a chat with a former Kiwi expatriate, Sean Maitland, for good measure. “I wanted to challenge myself and I felt the timing was right. And in the back of my mind I have a British passport. I always wanted to come play here and at some point go see where my mother grew up. The opportunity came up to play for Sarries and I knew it wouldn’t be there in a few years.”

It still represents a big leap into the unknown. Scotland have a certain Finn Russell and England already have George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith to choose from. Nothing can be guaranteed and when our Scottish photographer asks when he will wear dark blue, the hasty “no comment” further suggests he is biding his time. However, his ambitions at the highest level are no secret. “I am driven by international rugby. I’ve been talking to people in and around the country, but honestly, I have things here that I need to focus on. If I can play good rugby and we can get some results, things can happen.”

Those on both sides of the border who wonder how strong his character is certainly have nothing to worry about. The pursuit of self-improvement is deeply ingrained in the Burke family’s DNA. His father, Richard, started as a tractor driver at a local farming company 30 years ago before working his way up to CEO and helping grow the company into one of New Zealand’s leading vegetable and salad producers. His older sister, Georgia, is a lawyer in London, while Burke, a swimmer and footballer in his youth, has always been the active type. “I was a kid who couldn’t really sit inside or sit still for too long. I think I’m quite driven. I like to think I’m pretty competitive. I’m also strong in earning respect – and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”

In that respect, his Premiership debut in front of a rowdy Shed at Gloucester was an early rite of passage. “I really enjoyed some of the things they had for us. The atmosphere was great. My sister and my girlfriend were there and said, ‘This is so cool.’” He wants more now, starting with Ford and a hard Sale side on Saturday. “I like the competition in terms of how close it is and the quality of the 10s I get to play against. Handré Pollard, Russell, the England boys… if you don’t give your best every week, you’re going to lose. That’s how you’re going to get better.”

It’s so all-consuming at the moment that he even dreams and thinks about rugby on his days off – between Yorkshire puddings. “Because I am so driven and in a new environment I want everything to be perfect. The microscope that looks at certain parts of the game here is different to New Zealand.”

All he needs, McCall thinks, is a little more time to adjust to life as Sarries’ new controller. “You don’t have to be exactly the same as the person you replace to be a great player at this club. Sometimes it takes a little time when you’re under ten, but we think he has the resources and personality. The name is Burke. Fergus Burke. You’re going to hear it a lot soon.