Cambridge muscle their way clear

The adage that a good heavyweight will always beat a smaller foe when they trade blows rang true yesterday as Cambridge University rowers captured the Harry Mahon Trophy with victory in the Great Race.

The visiting eight proved too powerful for a plucky Waikato University crew after the two combatants clashed in the opening stages of the Gallagher-sponsored contest on the Waikato River in Hamilton.

However, the Waikato University women's combination ensured not all the silverware headed offshore as they produced an impressive effort to comfortably head off Sydney University to win back the Bryan Gould Cup.

The two men's crews traded punches as they crossed banks for the first time. Waikato had their bow in front but couldn't edge clear and the rowers clashed blades for a number of strokes before the hosts were forced to ease off and Cambridge grabbed an advantage they never relinquished.

A relieved Sasha Kasas said his more experienced Cambridge crew were always wary of their rivals.

"We knew that they had to go out hard at the start to get in front of us so our job was to basically try and stop that happening. We managed to keep in touch with them and when they came across they weren't that far in front.

"I'd been led to believe that blade clashing was just par for the course. I really wasn't able to row for much of that but the moment we got clear we just took it away," Kasas said.

"They never lost their determination – they were always right there. I was shouting from the bow `come on, let's take it away from them' but they just held with us so all credit to them for that."

Waikato University crew member Andrew Myers admitted they didn't quite have enough of a lead to pull off their audacious move.

"There was a canvas overlap there and that's enough for them to have the advantage.

"We were determined not to give it up and we kept clashing oars and kept going but the umpire called us off eventually and we had to pull out of the way," Myers said.

"They really sprung something on us at the start and we really tried our hardest to come back there at the finish but it wasn't quite enough – it's definitely an advantage to get in front from the start.

"Side by side you could tell they're a lot bigger crew with more pedigree but we had the advantage of training on the river and being from Waikato."

Cambridge coach Donald Legget had plenty of praise for the Waikato challenge.

"They really pushed it but we we had the superior horsepower."

The Waikato University women's eight shot off at the start and headed for the west bank after choosing that side of the course for the start and were never headed.

They gradually extended their lead throughout and made the forced cross to the eastern bank under the Claudelands Bridge four lengths in front and held that margin to the end.

- © Fairfax NZ News