Snooker: Pair prove to be top potters (+video)

"Nobody remembers who comes second" local snooker veteran Bruce McDonald warned his pairs partner Terry Rolfe just before Rotorua's recent national pairs tournament.

The stern declaration did just the trick with the dynamic duo clinching their first pairs title - beating fellow locals Craig Newbrook and Steve Blezard in the final.

McDonald and Rolfe, who are members of the Rotorua Citizens Snooker Club and Rotorua CT Club, train up to 15 hours a week and are preparing for the Masters National Snooker Championships in Tauranga next month.

In last month's final the pair won 3-1 (best of five frames) with McDonald and Rolfe taking the first frame before losing the next.

But Rolfe "fluked" a crucial shot on the black in the all important third frame to extend their lead with Newbrook and Blezard then "buckling" under pressure in the decisive fourth.

McDonald, 76, a former national singles title winner, said he purposely wanted Rolfe to get into the mindset of a winner before the crunch clash.

"It was a surprise that we actually reached the final so I wanted to make sure we both had belief that we could win," he said.

"I knew if we played with confidence we could take that title and let's be honest you don't remember the runners up do you?

"Terry took it all in and we both played extremely well. I was more of the tactical one with the safety shots whilst Terry sunk crucial balls."

Rolfe, 60, injected: "I have to say the black ball shot was very lucky. It hit against the corner of the pocket and rebounded into the opposite one.

"It was a huge sense of relief for us and it really sunk the opposition. They just couldn't pick themselves up in the next frame."

The winning pair reached the final by knocking out hot favourites Dave Dean and Pat Lynch from Hamilton after winning 2-1 in a close quarter-final.

McDonald and Rolfe then beat another Hamilton pair, the Fogdell brothers' Haydon and J.T - both talented U21 players, in the semifinal 2-1.

"There were lots of quality players on display and it was a real battle especially in the quarter-final," said Rolfe.

"But luck was definitely on our side, everything went our way and mine and Bruce's tactics did the trick."

McDonald added: "It helped that we were the underdogs in the quarters and our experience paid off for the final games."

Both players embraced the game of snooker in their teens with McDonald picking up the cue at 16.

He went on to win six national titles and play against former world number one Scotland's Stephen Hendry.

"I've had a colourful career and enjoyed every second of it," McDonald said.

"But I've no plans to hang up my cue just yet when there's more competitions to be won," he said.

A 15-year-old Rolfe, originally from Sydney, first started potting and regularly practiced with a young Glen Wilkinson who went on to become a world number two in the sport.

Rolfe came back into the sport seven years ago after a 25-year gap out of the game.

"My interests were elsewhere but I'm glad to be back," he said.

"You need to be prepared to put a lot of hours in practicing, the game doesn't just come to you."