R. Bowen had great game for Bluff beating Pirates in 1956......

Bluff had all the luck in the main game in 1956 when they beat Pirates 25-3.  Pirates were unlucky to be down at halftime as they started full of fire and the Pirates forwards showed scant respec for the reputation of the Bluff pack.  They set out to run them into the ground but to no avail.

Working together as a strong unit they launched onslaught after onslaught at the Bluff line, and with the Pirates backs also looking dangerous Bluff was given a busy time on defence.  It must have been heartbreaking to lose two almost certain tries within the first 10 minutes and still be six points down through two Rouse penalty goals, kicked on the only two occasions when Bluff got outside their own 25.  5
The bad luck combined with the deadly boot of Rouse may have been Pirates undoing because they gradually losst touch and never looked so dangerous again.
Rouse was outstanding for Bluff, his 16 points bringing his total for the season to 76.
His tally came from a try, two conversions and three penalty goals. Stapley was solid at first five-eight and was on hand to score after Tryan at half-back made a nice break from a scrum.  Ryan was a continual source of worry to Pirates.
Owen Brown playing at first five-eight in the absence of Ruatahi was the best of the Pirates backs. He had to contend with some bad passes from Don Thomas at times and he ran hard whenever the opportunity occurred.
Don Hayes and Ted Mortimer kicked too much and lost any opportunites.
The Pirates forwards played well as a pack with no-one showing out.  For Bluff, Bowen had a good deal to do in the line-outs and Budd and Cross were always in the thick of it.
Pirates:  Barry Dawson (1) 
Bluff: Rouse (1) Stapley (1) Bowen (1) Forrester (1) 
TEAMS:
Pirates:  D. Hini, Barry Dawson, J. Cowan, Ted Mortimer, D. Hayes, Owen Brown, Don Thomas, Barry Slade, Joe Mainland, Charlie Farser, Ray Smith, M. Dempster, Ted McDowell, R. Diack, Lex Thomas.
Bluff: M. Millar, D. Forrester, J. Robinson, R. Gilson, R. Rouse, B. Stapley, P. Ryan, J. Jamieson, A. Budd, R. Bowen, K. Fyall, I. Fluety, Duncan Henderson, c. Cross, R. Waddell.

Reference:  Bluff Had All The Luck In The Main Game.  The Southland Times April 1956

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