Harare — JUST when we thought Kennedy Tsimba's rugby career was in the twilight zone, the 34-year-old flyhalf is riding on a wave of success in South Africa.

Tsimba, who has had to overcome multiple career-threatening injuries, is in the top three of the highest point scorers in the Absa Currie Cup First Division.

The Griffons flyhalf is actually the second highest point scorer to Clayton Durand of Platinum Leopards who leads with 165 point so far this season while Tsimba is in second place with 104 points.

Tsimba's side beat SWD Eagles 27-17 to advance to the final of the Absa Currie Cup First Division championships.

The Griffons converted their 16-9 half-time lead into a 27-17 victory over the defending champions, the Eagles, at the North West Stadium in Welkom.

Seventeen of the 27 points came from Tsimba's boot but this was not the first time the fly-half played such a good game.

In Welkom, the Griffons managed their second successive victory over the Eagles, having also beaten them last week in both teams' final league matches.

Tsimba was the hero once again for the Griffons, kicking five penalties and one conversion for a personal tally of 17 points.

Tsimba, a former Vodacom Free State Cheetahs star, has now scored 104 points in the First Division this season.

Springbok Sevens wing Howard Noble scored two tries for the Griffons, with the Eagles replying through a try by Ryno van der Merwe and four Ambrose Barends penalties.

In the other semi-final the Platinum Leopards, under coach Chaka Willemse, beat the Pumas 50-18 in Potchefstroom, after leading 23-12 at half-time.

The Leopards were outright favourites to beat the Pumas after winning the last encounter between these two teams 77-29 in Witbank and they did not let their supporters down at Profert Olen Park on Friday evening.

Centre Deon van Rensburg scored two tries for the Leopards, with flyhalf Clayton Durand - the leading points-scorer in the First Division - adding 21 points, through five penalties and three conversions.

The Leopards and the Griffons will now meet in the Absa Currie Cup First Division final on Friday evening at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom.

After the week's final, the Leopards and the Griffons will play home-and-away promotion/relegation matches against the bottom two teams in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division (the Boland Kavaliers and the Valke) -- this all for the right to participate in next year's Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.

The matches will take place on Saturday, October 18 and it remains to be seen if Tsimba's boot will be accurate enough to sail his side through to glory.

Currie Cup First Division top points-scorers

165 - Clayton Durand (Platinum Leopards)

104 - Kennedy Tsimba (Griffons)

91 - Jeffrey John Taljard (Border Bulldogs)

84 - Ambrose Regan Barends (SWD Eagles)

81 - Rudi Vogt (Pumas)