Dark Blues given a rough time OXFORD University were outgunned on Saturday by Leander, a crew packed with internationals, in their last public fixture before the Boat Race on April 7, writes Mike Rosewell.

Leander won the toss and chose Surrey for the Putney to Chiswick Steps contest, bringing a wry comment from the Dark Blues coach Sean Bowden, not generally the luckiest man with the coin.

Oxford stayed in contact until just before the mile in very rough conditions.

But then Leander, with former Oxford stars world finalist Colin Smith and world champion Peter Reed in the stern seats, drew away steadily to win by three-and-a half lengths.

Bowden was philosophical and realistic. "We need to be rowing at a higher level, particularly in the rough water.

"Leander were good. Even rowing extremely well, we would have had our work cut out, but it was a good bloody nose' to have, a good test of character."

Cambridge also suffered defeat over the same course the day before in their race against a Molesey/Oxford Brookes combination of internationals stroked by former Oxford man and world champion Andy Triggs Hodge.

Cambridge, on Surrey, led narrowly at Hammersmith Bridge, but Molesey went back past them to win by two-thirds of a length.

The Dark Blues' other Boat Race crews - the women and the lightweights - will be doing battle over the traditional Henley course on Sunday afternoon.

A tight women's Boat Race looks in the offing on Sunday since Oxford were just four seconds ahead of Cambridge at the recent Women's Eights Head.

4:06pm Thursday 29th March 2007

Print

Email this