Irish encouraged despite defeat

Two defeats in two semi-finals on Saturday at Henley Royal Regatta might suggest that it was a disappointing weekend for Irish rowing - but the Irish were given an encouraging perspective on their defeats yesterday when their conquerors went on to do well. And three wins for young Irish competitors in the KMHB international regatta in Amsterdam also helped make it a good day for the sport in this country.

The Australian heavyweight four lost out to the seemingly unbeatable four of Steven Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster in the final of the Stewards at Henley as expected.

But the Irish lightweight four, who lost out by only a half a length to the Australian heavyweights on Saturday, will still be given heart by putting it up to the crew which tested Leander yesterday.

That semi-final performance drew plaudits for the Irish four of Tony O'Connor, Gearoid Towey, Neal Byrne and Neville Maxwell, which next weekend seeks an Olympic place at the qualification regatta in Lucerne. The Australians took the lead and stretched it to a length, but had to hold off the battling Irish, and only just succeeded.

The Garda eight did not test Molesey quite as rigorously in the semi-final of the Thames, but they had the consolation of knowing that they were beaten by the crew which went on to prove itself the best in the competition. Molesey beat Crabtree in yesterday's final. Ireland's prospects in the Nations Cup for under-23 competitors at the end of the month in Copenhagen look reasonably good after the performances in Amsterdam. The men's heavyweight four of Bruce Cummings, Paul O'Sullivan, John Wholley and Sean Casey, which stuttered on Saturday, showed signs of gelling yesterday: they started poorly in the A final and were never in it, but they won the senior B final.

The women's double of Fiola Foley and Susan O'Brien also won yesterday, and in a three-boat single scull final Foley came in first and O'Brien third.

The lightweight four of Eugene Coakley, Richard Archibald, Paul Griffin and Brian Young had to give way to Canada in the B final on Saturday, but beat off sole opponents Chile in a hard-fought Senior B final yesterday. The performance was particularly good because two of the four they beat made up the lightweight pair which took silver in last year's World Championship - ahead of Tony O'Connor and Neville Maxwell.

And given the form line that Maxwell and O'Connor can claim after the weekend's events at Henley, that will surely give the young lightweight four a lift.