The match at Tafel Lager Park kicks off at 16h30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Burger captained the side in a number of Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked matches earlier in the season and will lead a number of debutants onto the field as coach Scott Mathie named his side to host the Gauteng visitors at Tafel Lager Park.
Mathie himself will make his coaching debut in the Carling Currie Cup, which saw Tafel Lager Griquas finishing third in the overall standings in 2019 before losing out to the Xerox Lions in the semi-final of the tournament.
In fact, the Joburg side squeezed a 27-26 win out of the final pool match of tournament (played in Kimberley), leapfrogging the home side in the process. They then hosted the men from the Northern Cape in the semi-final, which the Gautengers won 34-19 at Emirates Airline Park.
Mathie would hope his side will break that losing streak and the inclusion of Johan Momsen at No 8 could prove a masterstroke. The former FNB Matie debuted for Tafel Lager Griquas at lock last year and played in six matches, but will start at the back of the scrum for the first time.
James Verity-Amm (fullback), Daniel Kasende (wing), Adre Smith (lock) and HJ Luus (hooker) will also play with the Carling Currie Cup logo on their shirts for the very first time, while Mathie also included the leading try-scorer from last year's campaign, Eduan Keyter, on the other wing.
Harlon Klaasen (centre, Boland), Stefan Willemse (flank, Phakisa Pumas) and Cameron Lindsay (lock, Phakisa Pumas) will also represent the Peacock Blues for the first time at Carling Currie Cup level.
Enver Brandt (wing) is also back in the match-day squad – on the extended bench – after a long injury lay-off that saw him miss most of the 2019 Carling Currie Cup campaign.
Tafel Lager Griquas: 15 James Verity-Amm, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Johnathan Francke, 11 Eduan Keyter, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Zak Burger (captain), 8 Johan Momsen, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Cameron Lindsay, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 HJ Luus, 1 Mox Mxoli. Replacements (from): 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Andrew Beerwinkel, 18 John-Roy Jenkinson, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Carl Els, 21 Theo Maree, 22 Andre Swarts, 23 Enver Brandt, 24 Bandisa Ndlovu, 25 Ewan Coetzee, 26 Masixole Banda.
Match information – Tafel Lager Griquas v Xerox Lions
Date: Saturday, 28 November 2020
Time: 16h30
Venue: Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper and Griffin Colby
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron
TV: SuperSport Rugby and Grandstand
