Oxford claimed victory in the 167th Men’s Boat Race, defeating a Cambridge crew in a dominant display of racing on the Championship Course.
One of the things that make The Boat Race so special is the influence conditions can have on the outcome and mindset of competing crews. 2022, however, was a year for flat water and optimal racing conditions, providing the perfect floor mat for two exceptional boats to do battle over the 6.8km course.
Cambridge won the toss, after Oxford’s Tobias Schröder incorrectly called ‘Tails’. Cambridge President and Blue Boat Cox Charlie Marcus stated that the Light Blues would be rowing on Middlesex, an unusual choice given that most crews (including OUWBC who won their respective toss) opt for Surrey when given the choice.
Both crews needed little introduction; the talent on show was perhaps the most impressive in recent memory, with multiple Olympians and senior internationals present for both crews. For Oxford, Charlie Elwes and Angus Groom (who had touted today as his last major race) represented the best of the British as two members of the GB team in Tokyo last summer, whilst the Cambridge pairing of Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George (who raced at Radley together as school kids and then competed in the Men’s Eight at Tokyo) were perhaps the strongest athletes in Light Blue. Perhaps the best summary of the depth of the crews was that Liam Corrigan, who stroked the US Men’s Eight at the 2020 Olympic Games, was in the bow seat for Oxford.
Departing a couple of minutes behind schedule, both crews got away cleanly under the watchful eye of Sir Matthew Pinsent. The early initiative looked to be with Oxford, who stole a seat or two in the first twenty strokes. Cambridge, looser and longer, and Oxford, more rugged and agricultural, were warned by Pinsent to stay apart as Oxford established a 1/4 length lead approaching the end of the Embankment.
The blades flirted with each other as the crews moved past Craven Cottage; Oxford maintained a slight lead but it was clear from early on that the 176th Men’s Boat Race was not going to be decided in the opening phases. The headwind that piled down the first straight favoured a heavier Dark Blue crew and they pulled out to half a length passing Barn Elms.
Stroked by former Blue Ollie Parish, Cambridge continued to look composed as Pinsent’s voice echoed over the course. Inch by inch and stroke by stroke though, Oxford began to move away – as Hammersmith Bridge loomed into view, the Dark Blues were threatening to break clear entirely. As so many have referenced in the past, the benefits of clear water in rowing are numerous and Oxford clearly bought into that theory as they began to open up a gap between their stern and the Light Blue bow.
The punchy Oxford style, which has defined so many Sean Bowden crews through the years, appeared to be paying dividends as they continued to drive a wedge between themselves and the Light Blues. A Cambridge conundrum was unfolding – if they wanted to get back on terms, now was the time for Rob Baker’s boys to move.
The overhead shot told its own tale though – Oxford were beginning to turn the screw, having led from stroke one, and now had an advantage of several lengths of clear water. Barnes Bridge and the bandstand came and went, as Oxford moved and moved – Cambridge had lost sight and sound of their Dark Blue counterparts and had little motivation or time to build a comeback.
After all of the discussion before The Men’s Boat Race about how tight this contest would be, Oxford’s dominance laid low the doubters and once again reemphasised the importance of power and pedigree in a race which draws its roots from amateur competition and endurance. Oxford continued to row away, buoyed by their supporters, to claim back the Men’s Boat Race title for the first time in four contests and five years.
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