How a little-known Kiwi kid became Owen Farrell's Saracens 後継者 after a 全世界の manhunt, a spreadsheet with 110 locks and turning 負かす／撃墜する the All 黒人／ボイコット No10 shirt
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When Owen Farrell dropped the 中央の-winter bombshell that he had agreed a summer move to Paris, Nick Kennedy knew he had to 行為／法令／行動する 急速な／放蕩な, to 開始する，打ち上げる an 緊急 search for someone to fill the glaring 無効の.
For the Saracens 長，率いる of 新規採用 and former England lock, this was an 予期しない and ultimate challenge; how to find a 交替／補充 for the legend who was a captain for club and country, and a prolific, 記録，記録的な／記録する-breaking 実験（する） centurion.
As if that wasn’t difficult enough, it had to happen at short notice, when most 移転 取引，協定s had already been 結論するd around the 首相の職 and beyond.
Two-and-a-half months later, Saracens had their man; Fergus Burke. So, how did the London club identify a New Zealander little-known on these shores ― who qualifies for England and Scotland ― as the 権利 候補者 for the onerous 仕事 of stepping into Farrell’s boots? Kennedy had to 現在の a 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of viable 選択s to his director of rugby, 示す McCall, and general 経営者／支配人, Phil Morrow. And he had to do so in a hurry.
‘We weren’t looking for a first-choice 飛行機で行く-half until Owen spoke to 示す and Phil about wanting to experience something different,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘They didn’t want to stand in his way, so as of January, suddenly we were in the market.
Saracens knew they had to 行為／法令／行動する quickly when Owen Farrell 発表するd his 意向 to leave?
The club 新採用するd the little-known New Zealander?Fergus Burke for the unenviable 役割 of 取って代わるing Farrell
Saracens 長，率いる of 新規採用 and former England lock?Nick Kennedy?had to 現在の a 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of viable 選択s to his director of rugby
‘Now, I’ve got my 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of players in every position who are 利用できる, but the 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） changes every week so I needed to quickly （犯罪の）一味 around all the スパイ／執行官s, to check who was still 利用できる, to refresh the 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）.
‘I sent the 現在の 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） to 示す and Phil, we got it 負かす／撃墜する to a 最高の，を越す 10, then started watching them and 審議ing them. I watched as many 最高潮の場面 reels as possible, before moving into watching 十分な games.?
‘We talked about what we had in-house first and what fits the squad. Do we wait a year instead of now (to 調印する a new 飛行機で行く-half)? We were also looking at who is coming through the 学院. It is about making the 権利 決定／判定勝ち（する）s for the long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 health of the club.’
For the Saracens 管理／経営 team, the 窮地 was whether to go 追跡（する）ing for a proven 人物／姿／数字 who could serve as the closest possible match to what Farrell 申し込む／申し出d, or 捜し出す someone they could mould into a long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 資産, in their image. They chose the latter, in the knowledge that nobody could tick every box as a Farrell clone anyway.
‘It was agreed 早期に on that we weren’t looking at like-for-like,’ said Kennedy. ‘Owen is a unique player and his standing in the group was unique. It was always going to be someone different.
‘We were 審議ing the せいにするs we were going to lose, what we needed to fill and what we could fill internally. For example, Owen was our captain, so did we have to 調印する another captain? No, we have lots of good leaders, so we didn’t need a leader.
‘We went through the 明確な／細部 せいにするs that the players on the 最高の，を越す 10 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） had, then went through the 過程 of watching more and more, and finding out about the personalities by speaking to more people. So, we 狭くするd it 負かす／撃墜する again and again.’
This is where the endless hours Kennedy spends watching rugby and talking to friends and 接触するs 証明するd so useful. He speaks about having hundreds of thousands of players 世界的な ‘in 発見’, which means trawling through 活動／戦闘 from the 首相の職, 部隊d Rugby 選手権, 最高の，を越す 14, 最高の Rugby and 国内の rugby in New Zealand and South Africa.?
Saracens knew they couldn't 調印する a like-for-like 交替／補充 and instead brought in someone who could be moulded
He will sit at his laptop analysing （映画の）フィート数 from international Under 20s games and Under 18 club matches. Last week, he was at London Scottish v Coventry in the 選手権, then a school match the next day; Wellington v Harrow. After that, he caught up on how Saracens’ players from Fiji and Samoa had been doing in the 太平洋の Nations Cup. He has a ‘depth chart’ for every position and 権利 now there are 110 locks on it, to be whittled 負かす／撃墜する over the coming months.
Tips are encouraged 経由で telephone 接触する, 最高潮の場面s reels or LinkedIn. All are followed up, just in 事例／患者. This is not 最高の，を越す-end football, where formal scouting 網状組織s 存在する; Kennedy has to rely on long-設立するd links and friendships from his travels.
‘I’d love a scouting 網状組織 with someone in New Zealand, someone in Australia and someone in South Africa,’ he said. ‘But, at the moment, it’s a very 非公式の scouting 網状組織 of guys I’ve played with or guys I’ve met over the years. I’ve got a lot of mates who can help me out and point me in the 権利 direction.’
Human instincts are considered more 決定的な than 人工的な 知能 or mountains of data. ‘We look at stats,’ 追加するd Kennedy. ‘But the data would always take a 支援する seat for us. It’s nice to know, but it’s about what we’re seeing, 審理，公聴会 and what we’re feeling when we watch it.’
支援する to Burke. The 言及／関連s were all 肯定的な, so 事実上の 会談 were arranged. ‘We met Fergus on Zoom and he was an impressive character,’ said Kennedy. ‘It was the first time ever that they (the player) asked to 会合，会う us again! He 手配中の，お尋ね者 to find out more about what we were about, to see if it was a good fit for him and his partner, Millie.’
By this 行う／開催する／段階 of the 過程, McCall was ひどく 伴う／関わるd. He had been impressed by the clips of Burke in 活動／戦闘 for the 改革運動家s, Canterbury and New Zealand Under 20s ― and his 肯定的な 見解（をとる） was 増強するd by how he （機の）カム across when they spoke.?
Human instincts are considered more 決定的な to Saracens than 人工的な 知能 or mountains of data and they were used extensively in the 新規採用 過程 for Burke
‘We saw a player who was 手段d, 静める and unhurried on the field,’ said the Ulsterman. ‘We like that in a 飛行機で行く-half. When we spoke to him, it 支援するd up everything we’d seen. He felt the 権利 fit for us; bringing someone in who could grow in a team where there are a lot of players who are a 類似の age to him ― 25, 26.’
Saracens 結論するd that Burke was ideal for their needs, but the Kiwi No 10 had to decide whether a move to the other 味方する of the world was 権利 for his career. ‘It was such a big 決定／判定勝ち（する） for him,’ said McCall. ‘It was an onerous 決定／判定勝ち（する） for him to leave and he’d never been in the UK before, so he was 井戸／弁護士席 within his 権利s to talk to us a second time.
‘We had a few more coaches and people he was going to work with on that call 同様に, just to give him a flavour of who he would be working with and what it would be like.’
Burke grew up in Gisborne in the north east of New Zealand. A skilful young player, he was regarded as an ‘exceptional footballer’ and his rugby prospects took off when he moved to St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton. From there, he went into the 改革運動家s 学院 and developed as a 飛行機で行く-half who could also operate at 十分な 支援する.
While Saracens weren’t 試みる／企てるing to find a replica of Farrell, they chose someone of a 類似の build and 乗り気 to embrace the physicality of the sport. ‘He’s a very skilful 飛行機で行く-half, he’s got pace but he’s also a 勇敢に立ち向かう defender, which we like at Saracens,’ said Kennedy .
McCall is encouraged that the new 調印 is a composed conductor and assertive presence, like his 前任者, but also someone who can attack the line and off-負担.
Of course, the 厄介な 問題／発行する he 直面するs at Saracens is 存在 裁判官d against Farrell, but Burke is at 緩和する about that 圧力.
‘I’ve been through something 類似の this year, with Richie Mo’unga (All 黒人／ボイコットs’ 星／主役にする 飛行機で行く-half) leaving,’ he said, about having another icon to emulate while he was still at the 改革運動家s. ‘I’m my own player, but I have ultimate 尊敬（する）・点 for what Owen’s done.’
In New Zealand, they had big 計画（する）s for Burke. He was regarded as a 実験（する） prospect. Speaking last year, Scott Robertson ― who left Christchurch to take 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of the All 黒人／ボイコットs ― said: ‘Fergus has done a 広大な／多数の／重要な 職業 so far. He knows that the 10 is going to be 手渡すd to him and he’s had a good 見習いの身分制度.’
示す?McCall (left) is encouraged that the new 調印 is a composed conductor and assertive presence
All 黒人／ボイコットs 長，率いる coach Scott Robertson spoke glowingly of Saracens 星／主役にする Burke last year
When it was 発表するd that Burke would be leaving to join Saracens, Robertson’s 後継者 at the 改革運動家s, 略奪する Penney, said: ‘It’s really disappointing, but he’s made a 井戸／弁護士席-知らせるd 決定／判定勝ち（する）. He has got 多重の 適切な時期s, for all sorts of 推論する／理由s, and he’s taken that 選択. We wish him 井戸／弁護士席. Who knows, he might come 支援する.’
The 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of the 改革運動家s, Colin Mansbridge, 配達するd a more barbed reaction, 説: ‘明白に, we 手配中の，お尋ね者 him to stay, and that was the message he got loud and （疑いを）晴らす from us. He’s got three 選択s ーに関して／ーの点でs of 代表; the All 黒人／ボイコットs, England or Scotland, and it looks like he’s chosen the England-Scotland 大勝する.’
However, there is also residual good-will に向かって a young player who lost the best part of a season to 傷害 and chose to try his luck abroad. All 黒人／ボイコットs assistant coach Scott Hansen worked with Burke at the 改革運動家s and told Mail Sport: ‘We are really excited for Fergus and the 適切な時期 he has with Saracens.
‘Fergus is a natural leader and a very good game tactician. It is a 大規模な challenge to be seen to be 取って代わるing a club legend like Owen Farrell, but I know that Fergus will rise to the challenge.’
All 黒人／ボイコットs assistant coach Scott Hansen worked with Burke at the 改革運動家s and told Mail Sport they are exci ted for Burke and the 適切な時期 ahead with Saracens
The 25-year-old?― who qualifies for England and Scotland ― made an 保証するd debut last week?as Saracens （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 Gloucester
Last 週末, Burke made an 保証するd debut as Saracens （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 Gloucester. For McCall, it was an 早期に glimpse of what they had seen in the Kiwi 新採用する. ‘He plays with clarity and calmness.’?
On Saturday, a home debut を待つs, against Sale. It is still 早期に days, but Kennedy will be encouraged that all the 分析 and the 言及／関連s have led to a 満足な 解答, in 返答 to a 新規採用 緊急.
