The exciting outside centre, Zane Bester, will be making his Suzuki Griquas debut on Saturday during the SA Cup game against the SWD Eagles in Kimberley.

The Varsity Cup-winning Shimlas star only joined the Griquas on Monday after being linked with the Toyota Cheetahs and he will be one of five players on debut this weekend.

The others are the tighthead prop Sazi Sandi and lock Connor Evans (both from the Stormers/Western Province) and flyhalf Zinedine Robinson (joined from the NWU Eagles) and centre Mnombo Zwelendaba (Western Province).

Bester, Sandi and Evans will also run out in the starting team, while Robinson and Zwelendaba will debut off the bench.

While Bester was only primed to actively play from the Currie Cup, the coach, Pieter Bergh, told OFM Sport that this the perfect opportunity to blood the speedy midfielder.

“We just felt he is on such a high after the Varsity Cup, he's got so much confidence,” said Bergh.

“He’s already made an impact and we can see the skills he's got, especially on the attack.

“So yeah, we just felt, why not? Why not give him an opportunity to play? If we don't give him the opportunity this week, then, it will be difficult to play him against the Cheetahs or for him to play his first game in a possible SA Cup final. Then we've got six weeks off before the Currie Cup starts.

“So, I think it's a good opportunity for him to play immediately and feel like a part of the team. And, and it just shows that we've never been scared to back young players.

“I said to him, listen, there's an opportunity for him if, if he plays well and if he slots in easily with our structures, there's no reason why he can't play next week, in the final and in the Currie Cup as well.

“We just felt it's a good opportunity to get him used to everything as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the fiery hooker, Janco Uys, will be playing in his 50th match for the Peacock Blues.

A win for the Griquas on Saturday will ensure that they are in the final of the SA Cup, and it’s all pointing to this game being played in Kimberley after they managed to beat the Pumas 31-26 last week.

Friday’s match at the Suzuki Stadium kicks off at 15:00.

Griquas - 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Connor Mahoney, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Sango Xamlashe, 11 Sako Makata, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Stephan Smit (captain), 6 Thabo Ndimande, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Leon Lyons
Replacements - 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Cebo Dlamini, 19 Albert Liebenberg, 20 Marco de Witt, 21 Xavier Swartbooi, 22 Zinedine Robinson, 23 Mnombo Zwelendaba

SWD Eagles - TBA

Morgan Piek OFM Sport