By The Guardian (Sports) | Created at 2024-09-27 14:09:41 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:23:22
2 days ago
Certain acts are tougher to follow than others. Imagine, say, playing Hamlet at the Old Vic with the ghost of Sir Laurence Olivier on your shoulder. Or succeeding Sean Connery as the next James Bond. As he prepares for his first home league game as Owen Farrell’s heir apparent, Saracens’ new fly-half, Fergus Burke, knows he is stepping into some exalted shoes.
Which, of course, presents an instant dilemma: do you try to be a carbon copy of your predecessor – give or take the Wigan accent – or resolve to be your own man? Sitting in St Albans, his freshly adopted home town, the 25-year-old Burke has already made his mind up. “Stepping into someone else’s role … there’s obviously a bit of expectation. I just try and park that. Owen was an awesome player and one of the best this club has seen. But I’ve got to be my own player. I can’t be thinking too much about what’s been.”
It helps that this is a positive-minded young pretender who relishes a challenge. As Richie Mo’unga’s protege at the Crusaders, he could just have hung around in New Zealand in the hope of a future All Black cap. Instead, eligible for England through his mother, Julie – who hails from Dover – and Scotland via a Glaswegian grandfather, he has opted to take the road less travelled and see where it leads him.
The smart money is on “the new Faz” being an asset to every team he represents. Cheerful and approachable, he has certainly been quick to embrace British culture. “I’m pretty into Sunday roasts. It’s become a bit of a habit, unfortunately. I can’t get past the Yorkshire puddings. They’re special. They’re so big, they’re awesome.” Trips into central London have also proved an eye-opener. “New Zealand’s a slow country, especially where I’ve grown up. You come somewhere like this and it’s fast. Go into London and its chaos. I just love the markets. Even the public transport. It’s blown my mind.”
What Saracens’ fans really want to know, though, is whether this 6ft 2in guy 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. “Defence doesn’t require a whole lot of skill, it just requires a bit of intent. I like to make sure I have that for the person next to me.”
It was something else, however, that persuaded Mark McCall, his new director of rugby, to offer him a three-year contract. “When we watched him we saw a player who was very measured and calm. We liked the fact he’s not easily hurried or rattled. I also spoke to Scott Robertson [the All Blacks head coach], who said he was a player who could command a room and a team. That ability to grab a team and take them to where they need to be is not a quality everybody has.”
Ultimately, though, the final call was Burke’s. Every Kiwi youngster wants to be an All Black and he was edging closer to that dream. Hence his polite request for a second Zoom meeting with Saracens’ coaches followed by a chat with a previous Kiwi émigré, Sean Maitland, just to make absolutely sure. “I wanted to challenge myself and I felt the timing was right. And in the back of my mind I’ve got a British passport. I always wanted to come over here to play and, at some point, go and look at where my mum grew up. The opportunity came up to play at Sarries and I knew it wouldn’t be there in a few years’ time.”
It still represents a sizeable leap into the unknown. Scotland have a certain Finn Russell and England can already pick from George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith. Nothing can be guaranteed and when our Scottish photographer asks when he will be wearing dark blue the hasty “no comment” further suggests he is biding his time. His top-level ambitions, though, are no secret. “I am driven by international rugby. I’ve talked to people in and around it but, to be honest, I’ve got things to focus on here. If I can play good rugby and we can get some results that stuff can take care of itself.”
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Those on both sides of the border wondering about his strength of character certainly have no cause to worry. A commitment to self-improvement runs deep in the Burke family’s DNA. His dad, Richard, started as a tractor driver at a local agricultural company 30 years ago before working his way up to chief executive and helping to grow the business into one of New Zealand’s leading vegetable and salad producers. His elder 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 that couldn’t really sit inside or sit still for too long. I guess I’m pretty driven. I like to think I’m pretty competitive. I’m also big on earning respect – which is what I’m trying to do at the moment.”
In that respect his Premiership debut in front of a noisy Shed at Gloucester was an early rite of passage. “I actually enjoyed some of the stuff they had for us. The atmosphere was awesome. My sister and my girlfriend were there and they were saying: ‘This is so cool.’” He is now eager for more, starting with Ford and a hard-edged Sale side on Saturday. “I love the competition in terms of how close it is and the quality of 10s I’m going to play against. Handré Pollard, Russell, the England boys … if you don’t bring your best every week you’re going to lose. That’s how you’re going to get better.”
It is currently so all-consuming he has even found himself dreaming about rugby and thinking about it – between Yorkshire puddings – on his days off. “Because I’m so driven and in a new environment I want everything to be perfect. The microscope on certain areas of the game here is different to what it is in New Zealand.”
All he needs, reckons McCall, 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’re replacing to be a great player at this club. Sometimes when you’re a younger 10 it takes a bit of time but we think he’s got the wherewithal and personality.” The name’s Burke. Fergus Burke. You’ll soon be hearing it a lot.
