Boat Race: Powerful Oxford tame Thames; RUGBY LEAGUE/BOAT RACE.

Byline: BY MIKE SINCLAIR

OXFORD tamed the angry River Thames to hand favourites Cambridge a decisive beating in the 152nd University Boat Race.

The Dark Blues belied their lack of Boat Race experience to power to an emphatic victory by 15 seconds and five lengths as Cambridge were virtually swamped by the white-force waves.

The winning time of 18 minutes 26 seconds was well short of the course record of 16 minutes 19 seconds set by Cambridge in 1998 - but that was no surprise considering the tempestuous conditions.

Oxford handled them far better than their rivals and their president, Canadian Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams, praised the tactics of coach Sean Bowden for that.

Williams, the only returning rower from last year's Oxford triumph by the heaviest crew in Boat Race history, said: "We had a coach who kept us focused on the moment. That was the key." He was troubled bythe conditions, adding: "I was nervous, I was scared but it was calm in the boat.

"It was choppy but we handled it really well. Coming into the headwind I thought we would have to tuck in and it would be survival rowing but it didn't faze us."

Cambridge led briefly - and narrowly - at the mile post but Oxford took over at Hammersmith Bridge and forged ahead.

Williams continued: "We just got stuck into the headwind and powered along. At that point we had broken them, we had really exhausted their energy.

"There was a sense of 'just don't make any mistakes'. I don't know of many times when you can just row the last three minutes conservatively but that's what we did - bringing it home and savouring all the hard work."

Oxford, with Bastien Ripoll - the first Frenchman ever to row in the Boat Race - making a winning debut in the important stroke seat, were steered to victory by Seb Pearce.

Williams said: "What a character. When he was selected for Isis he knew he was good but he just took a back seat, did well for them and he made us select him."