Neptune, with a crew featuring three 19 year olds, are only one step from the final of the Thames Cup this morning after a terrific win in the quarter-final at Henley yesterday.
The efforts of coaches Liam Purdisat and Jimmy O'Neill in bringing along the younger generation may be about to pay off spectacularly after the crew held off a number of pushes by Cincinnati to win by a canvas in a good time of 6:37.
Neptune last won the Thames in 1996 and if they see of Ghent today they could match that win tomorrow.
Harvard were just too strong, however, for NUIG in the Temple and Commercial's sculler Susan O'Brien fell to Britain's evergreen Guin Batten in the Princess Royal.
Thames Cup (Club Eights): Neptune Rowing Club bt Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club (US) canvas, 6.37
Temple (College Eights): Harvard University A (US) bt NUI, Galway 13/4 l, 6.35
Princess Royal (Women's Single Scull): G Batten (Thames Rowing Club) bt S O'Brien (Commercial) easily, 9.17
