 Two old Etonians, G. E. Tower and C. E. V. Buxton joined the Cambridge crew, along with W. M. Askwith.The Light Blues' practice was disrupted, first losing Askwith suffering from a boil, and then, late in the build-up the race, losing both E. L. Showell Rogers and L. A. Pattinson to injury and "indigestion" respectively nine days before the race.Askwith was fit enough to return and according to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, "the crew were well together when they came to the post".