Oxford Cruise To Victory
The Oxford Dark Blues celebrate their victory.
"That was awesome."
Andy Triggs-Hodge's response following his epic performance which pummelled Cambridge into a two-length defeat encapsulated this year's Boat Race. The Great Britain international set a relentlessly powerful rhythm that allowed his crew to make the most of their significant weight advantage, and proved too much for Cambridge's olympic talisman, Bernd Heidicker.
Perhaps the ultimate tribute came when Barney Williams, no stranger to the special pressures of the stroke seat, clambered up the boat to express his admiration and gratitude. The man who pushed Matthew Pinsent so close in the Olympic final said "Andy and I talked a lot about stroking, and today he showed an incredible focus." The reactions of both men after the race demonstrated their commitment to the event and their crew, and their comments were testament to the benefits they have gained from tackling the perhaps unique mental and physical challenges of the marathon event.
The leadership of Hodge was only one component of a perfectly executed race from the Dark Blues. Oxford dispensed with any demons that haunted them up to race day, whilst several key Cambridge players seemed to succumb to the pressure.
Cox Acer Nethercott appeared to have freed himself from the memories of last year's disastrous clash. He steered a clever line, which his crew complemented with measured bursts of effort, showcasing the composure of what could be the highest quality crew ever to compete in this event.
Meanwhile, in a mistake which could only be attributed to the mounting pressure of a driftwood-delayed start, Cambridge's seven man Tom James missed the crucial first stroke.
As a result of this error the sharp Cambridge start which had been evident in training never materialised and the crucial advantage afforded by the first bend was lost. Powered by the giant finishing of Mike Blomquist and Chris Liwski, the Dark Blues took half a length in as many minutes, and subsequently managed to hold off the lively challenges expected from the coherent and technically adept opposition. Cambridge did respond admirably, in particular in the lead-up to Hammersmith Bridge, where they clawed back a couple of seats.
Soon after, however, Oxford made the decisive move of the race. A rate increase before Hammersmith gave Nethercott the leeway for a sharp turn, and another vicious 20 strokes at Chiswick Steps gave them a length as the Light Blues were pushed wide on apex of bend. In the aftermath, Heidecker reflected: "we threw in a big effort on the curve of the Surrey bend. That's never the best place to push and it cost us too much". Despite the perfect execution, there was a feeling that the race still wasn't over. "When we got the lead, it was 'don't stop, keep pushing', because if you stop for one second a crew like that will come right back at you," said Liwski following the victory.
Oxford did manage to dictate the race once they had clear water. They forced the opposition to row in their substantial wash, and the effect was clear as the core of the Cambridge crew began to rush their finishes in a desperate attempt to regain the momentum. Oxford simply kept up the their relentless power in the second half of the stroke, coming home in 16 minutes 42 seconds - the third-fasted time on record.
Back on dry land there was disappointment but no bitterness from the Cambridge contingent. The retiring Light Blue coach was pleased that the race lived up to its billing as one of the most competitive in history, and gave credit to the winners: "The base speed of the crews was similar but Oxford were extremely effective with the power of their pushes." Oxford coach Sean Bowden agreed with that sentiment when he characterised his crew's win as "a 100 percent performance". Bowden was keen to emphasise Oxford's quality, following press coverage portraying them as the brute power to Cambridge's superior rhythm and technique: "There was a myth about us not lasting the distance. It was clearly fantasy."
A similar peak performance had been expected from Isis as they took to the water against Goldie earlier in the day. In fact it was a one-sided affair, with Goldie taking the lead from the start and stretching to a five-length margin to finish in 16 minutes 48 seconds.
This time was the fastest ever recorded by a reserve crew by a good ten seconds, and was all the more impressive given that the crew was unchallenged for a large portion of the race. The Cambridge crew got a great start and, showing greater coherence and composure than the Dark Blues, gained a clear water advantage by the black buoy.
Isis didn't cope well with the early onslaught, looking rushed and unsettled. The difference between the crews was perhaps evidence of the past experiences of the key players. Goldie had five members returning from last year's race, who knew each other's rowing inside out and were desperate to avenge their defeat last year, as put simply by six man Oli de Groot: "we wanted to conquer Isis, it is all I've wanted since last year's defeat." Isis, in contrast, had a stern three who had lost their Blue Boat seats from the previous year, and who perhaps could never have mustered the positivity of their record-breaking opposition.
21st Apr 2005