Rowing: Cox's coup helps Robson find winning rhythm

Tactics beat form in the Cambridge University trials race yesterday, as "Yellow Lorry" outmanoeuvred "Red Lorry" from Putney to Mortlake to win by four lengths in a time of 18min 05sec. The newcomer Ewan Robson, stroke of the winning crew, was up against a daunting rival in the shape of the world champion, Rick Dunn, who set a strong rhythm for Red Lorry at the outset. Robson refused to falter under the pressure and, helped by some well-judged steering, took his crew into an unassailable lead before the Chiswick Steps.

Cambridge had only put their matched eights out a few days earlier, following the British international trials last weekend in which, after a timing revision, two of their new world-class recruits were found to have won the coxless pairs. Samuel Brooks and Stuart Welch have competed in the American and Australian national eights respectively, and after pairing together successfully, their presence in the engine room of Red Lorry had given it a muscular power which made it on paper and in practice the faster crew. Despite fielding four Blues including the president, Tom Stallard, their rivals had shown difficulty in matching their speed and effectiveness. However, on the day they had the strategy and grit required to win on the less favoured Middlesex station.

An overnight switch in coxes gave Yellow Lorry the advantage of the Tideway experience of a local girl, Eleanor Griggs. From the outset she dominated the race, and Alex Walker, in Red, allowed her to push him out of the fastest water around the Fulham Football Ground without much dissent. The race umpire, Simon Harris, had also refereed the Oxford trial eights last week, a deliberate plan since he will be Boat Race umpire next March. He was happy with the lack of clashing. "The coxes both weeks responded well [when warned] – that's all that matters to me", he said. "They have to move straight away and work with the umpire." Griggs's move allowed Robson's crew to weather the initial power of Dunn and colleagues, who were clearly taken aback at being down several seats by Harrod's Depository. A solid push to Hammersmith Bridge drew them nearly level, but Robson and Stallard had by now settled into a better rhythm. With Red Lorry's faltering stroke becoming shorter and less cohesive, the Yellows pulled ahead steadily and by the end of Chiswick Eyot were in a position to move in front.

The chief coach, Robin Williams, was clearly pleased that the underdog crew had won. "I thought it was a really good race", he remarked afterwards. "They'll learn a lot out of it. That kind of experience is really good to gain." After Christmas his squad move to the Olympic lake at Banyoles, near Barcelona, to get on with the serious business of crew selection before term begins.

Both Oxford and Cambridge have been strengthened by the arrival of new international oarsmen in their squads, adding not just strength but also experience. The 2002 Boat Race is shaping up to be an interesting contest.