The 168th Men’s Boat Race Preview

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With the announcement of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race crews, it’s time for me to cast my eye over the line-ups, make my customary seat-by-seat comparison, and give the “kiss of death” to the crews that I think will win.

Bow

Oxford – James Forward (Great Britain)

One of four returning Blues for Oxford, Forward raced in the losing 2021 crew and then raced for Isis in 2022. He learnt to row at Nottingham & Union Boat Club and represented Great Britain at the European U23 Championships in 2021, winning a gold medal in the BM8+. He was partnered by Alex Bebb (who races in the two-seat) at the recent Great Britain trials, where they finished a creditable 11th overall.

Cambridge – Matt Edge (Great Britain)

A three-time Lightweight Blue, Edge learnt to row at Durham Amateur Rowing Club. As well as three Lightweight Boat Race appearances, he also has a BUCS gold medal from the LM2-.

Verdict: advantage Oxford

Two:

Oxford – Alex Bebb (Canada)

Forward’s pairs partner at the recent GB trials (where he acted as a facilitator for Forward), Bebb, is a graduate of Cornell and rowed in the 1st Varsity from his sophomore year onwards. He represented Canada at the 2018 U23 World Championships finishing 5th in the BM8.

Cambridge – Brett Taylor (Great Britain/ Taipei)

Taylor grew up in Cambridge and learned rowing at Rob Roy Boat Club. He has dual British and Chinese Taipei citizenship and represented the latter at the Junior World Championships in 2019, finishing 12th in the JM1X.

Verdict: Another seat win for the Dark Blues

Three: 

Oxford – Freddy Orpin (Great Britain)

One of only three undergraduates in the Oxford boat, Orpin learnt his rowing at York City and was a York/Leeds composite crew member that raced in the Prince of Wales quad at Henley Royal.

Cambridge – Noam Mouile (France)

A graduate of Imperial College, London, Mouile is the first Frenchman to race in the men’s Boat Race since Bastien Ripoli stroked the winning Oxford crew in 2006. He learnt to row at Société Nautiques du Perreux in Paris. He’s a four-time French champion and represented France at the 2022 U23 World Championships in the BM4+

Verdict: A light blue seat win

Four:

Oxford – Tom Sharrock (Great Britain)

Sharrock is from Cambridge and learnt his rowing at Cantabrigian Rowing Club in the city. This is his 2nd year in the Oxford squad, and he’s the third of three Undergraduates in the Oxford boat.

Cambridge – Seb Benzecry (Great Britain)

Benzecry is no stranger to the Championship course. He learnt his rowing at St Paul’s School and was a member of the outstanding St Paul’s crew that won the Princess Elizabeth at Henley in 2015. He also has a Junior world bronze from that year. He’s a graduate of Princeton, with whom he won a bronze medal at the IRA’s. This will be his 2nd Blue, having been selected for the 2021 crew. He also raced for Goldie last year.

Verdict: A solid advantage for the Light Blues.

Five:

Oxford – James Doran (Great Britain)

Doran is a graduate of Edinburgh University; Doran has rowed for Great Britain at the European U23 Championships, winning gold in the BM8+ in 2021 and Bronze in the BM4+ last year. He’s also reasonably familiar with the Boat Race course, having learnt to row at Dulwich College, who boat from Putney.

Cambridge – Tom Lynch (Canada/Ireland)

At 2 metres tall, Lynch is the tallest man in the Cambridge boat. He graduated from the University of British Columbia and helped them win the Canadian University Championships in 2019. He raced in the five-seat of the losing Goldie crew last year.

Verdict: close, but I will give Oxford a slight advantage.

Six:

Oxford – Jean-Philippe Dufour (Switzerland)

One of four returning Blues in this year’s Oxford boat, Dufour was a part of the 2020 and 2021 Blue Boats, although he’s yet to taste victory. A graduate of the University of Zurich, he learnt to row at Belvoir Rowing Club in Zurich.

Cambridge – Nick Mayhew (Great Britain/New Zealand)

Another athlete who learnt his rowing on the Tideway, Mayhew, learnt at Latymer Upper School and is a graduate of Stanford University. Whilst at Stanford, he rowed in their 1st Varsity, was Captain for the 2022 season, and helped Stanford take Bronze at the Pac-12 Championships and 13th at the IRA’s.

Verdict: Honours even I reckon

Seven:

Oxford – Tassilo Von Mueller (Germany)

Von Mueller was a member of the victorious Isis crew from 2022. He graduated from Princeton and raced in their 1st Varsity in 2019 and 2021. He’s also got multiple National titles to his credit and, in 2017, won silver at the European Junior championships.

Cambridge – Ollie Parish (Great Britain)

A two-time Blue with a won one lost one record. He’s another athlete from St Paul’s, with Henley and Junior World titles to his credit. He made his U23 debut last season, making the A-Final of the BM2-. At the recent GB Trials, he and partner Luca Ferraro were the fastest U23 pair finishing 8th overall.

Verdict: It’s close, but Parish’s course experience and more robust international pedigree give Cambridge the edge.

Stroke:

Oxford – Felix Drinkall (Great Britain)

The most experienced man in the race, this will be Drinkall’s 5th Blue (although he’s yet to win the race). He’s also one of the most talented young oarsmen in the country with wins in the Princess Elizabeth (with Eton) and the Ladies Plate at Henley, Junior world championship gold and two U23 Gold medals. In addition, he raced at the recent Great Britain Trials (competing as Leander Club with James Vogel), where they finished 7th (8 seconds ahead of the top Cambridge pair). It’s only a matter of time before Drinkall makes his senior international debut, and he could well be in the GB squad by the time of the LA Olympics.

Cambridge – Luca Ferraro (Great Britain)

Studying at Latymer School and learning to row at Lea Rowing Club, Ferraro, was a losing 2022 Blue Boat member. As mentioned above, he raced with Ollie Parish in the BM2- at the U23 World Championships and the recent GB Trials; he and Parish were the leading U23 pair. I fully expect these two to be part of the British U23 team this season and could well be part of the Senior squad during the next Olympiad.

Verdict: they are two very strong and talented athletes, but Drinkall has the edge.

Cox

Oxford – Anna O’Hanlon (Australia)

A graduate of the University of Sydney, O’Hanlon learnt to cox at UTS Haberfield, and her father was a cox for the Australian National team.  

Cambridge – Jasper Parish (Great Britain)

The younger brother of Ollie, Parish Jnr, learnt his craft at St Paul’s and coxed the Paul’s 1st eight at Henley in 2021, losing in the final of the Princess Elizabeth. This will be his 2nd Blue, having coxed the winning Cambridge Women’s Blue Boat in 2022.

Verdict: On paper, this is a clear advantage to Cambridge, Parish’s extensive Tideway knowledge and previous experience of a Boat Race will be invaluable.

Prediction:

My pick for the win… 

I think this could be an incredibly close race. In a seat-by-seat comparison, it’s four each, with one tied. Both crews have robust stern pairs, but Oxford look a little vulnerable in the key “engine room” seats; Orpin at three and Sharrock at four are relatively inexperienced compared to their Cambridge counterparts, but both are big, strong men (both over 2 metres tall) and if O’Hanlon can keep the race clean it’ll let them put down their power. 

If the race gets scrappy, the extra experience in the middle of the Cambridge boat may be critical. Both these crews raced Oxford Brookes in recent weeks, the benchmark in University rowing in Europe at the moment. Neither squad could match Brookes, but the margins of defeat were similar (Oxford losing by three lengths and two lengths in their two pieces and Cambridge two ½ and one ¾ in theirs). So, if I’ve got to put my money on one crew: it will be neck and neck past Chiswick Steps, but I think Oxford may edge it and win by a length.

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