After an entrancing 4 days of racing, we have it. The last two crews left in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Scotch College Melbourne and Eton College. Even if these young athletes never get in a boat again after this race, they will still be able to lay claim to a remarkable career as an oarsman. For these crews, tomorrow will represent the climax of 5 years of work. For the winners, the sacrifices made in the form of long winter miles, hundreds of reps in the gym and countless early starts will be repaid a thousand times over when they sit in the shadow of the grandstand just past the finish line, revelling in victory. For the losers, they will gaze across and look upon what could have been. This is the endpoint, the ultimate prize in junior rowing. Let’s take a look, one last time
St Paul’s vs Scotch College, AUS
Bobby’s Boys came up against Scotch today at 3:30 pm. St Paul’s haven’t anything like the season they had last year, but have swept aside all before them at Henley so far. Latymer, Scots and Teddies have all fallen to the Tideway Club. Scotch represented a fresh challenge though. The Melbourne based club have had a fairly straightforward campaign so far. However, they looked like they may have been coming undone as Shrewsbury pushed them all the way to the finish.
Scotch took a slight lead out of the start before Paul’s levelled it up coming into Fawley. It looked for a time like the British crew would walk away, however, Scotch stayed with them and coming through Remenham made their move. Opening up a half-length coming into the enclosures, Scotch held off a late St Paul’s charge to book their place on the Sunday as they recorded a 1/3 length victory over last years winners.
Eton College vs Shiplake College
Eton were very much outside favourites for the P.E. this year, and despite making short work of Pangbourne, the work they had to put in against Westminster raised doubts as to whether they could go all the way. A Friday exit at the hands of Radley was looking likely. However, Eton shot out of the blocks, leading Radley by 1 foot to the barrier, and extending this to 3/4 length by Fawley. Radley ramped up the pressure coming into the enclosures, but it wasn’t enough, with Eton crossing the line to record a historic win on the Friday. Shiplake had a less dramatic campaign, soundly defeating King’s Chester, Reading Blue Coat and St Joe’s Prep. Exiting at the semi-finals twice in the past two years, they had their eyes firmly set on the final.
Both crews started hard and remained fairly even until Eton stepped out at the Fawley, taking half a length. They weren’t allowed to relax by Shiplake, who almost turned over St Pauls in a dramatic sprint at National Schools. However, Eton held off the local school to book their place in a second successive P.E Final
Eton vs Scotch
Eton face Scotch tomorrow in the deciding race. In a tie that could appear out of a movie, the most successful English rowing school in history against the best that the international scene has to offer. This is a replay of the 2017 semi-final which Scotch would win on their way to lifting the P.E. Of all the crews in the 2017 competition, it was Eton who pushed Scotch the hardest, and that defeat will be fresh in their minds, even if none of these boys raced in that VIII. The difference in time between the two crews today in their respective races was only 1 second, so this is by no means a decided affair. This race looks set to be one that will be one coming through the enclosures, with the roaring crowds as a backdrop. I dare not tempt fate and predict a crew to win but there is no doubt in my mind that whoever does win will be pushed to the breaking point in the pursuit of it.
Good luck to Scotch and Eton
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