Sir Matthew Pinsent: Men's four are as good as it gets

By Chris Cottrell, Sportsbeat

FOUR-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent insists Great Britain's men's four are as good as it gets - but warns there could be another change in personnel if flagship pair Andy Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed continue to underperform.

CONTRASTING FORTUNES: The new-look men's four claimed gold at August's World Championships, while Andy Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed settled for silver

Pinsent twice claimed gold in the pair with Sir Steve Redgrave in Barcelona and Atlanta before switching to the four - Great Britain's flagship boat for the past three Olympics until Triggs-Hodge and Reed were moved to the pair after capturing gold in Beijing with Steve Williams and Tom James.

The new-look quartet of Rick Egington, Alex Partridge, Matt Langridge - all silver medallists in the eight in the Chinese capital - and Alex Gregory edged out Australia for gold at August's World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland.  

And Pinsent - a member of the crew which helped Redgrave to his fifth gold medal in Sydney - admits he's been surprised by just how good they've been.

"I keep a good eye on who's coming through but I don't like breathing down their necks too much," said Pinsent.

"The men's four has been fantastic this year. To be honest I texted one of them to say that was the best fours rowing for five or six years.

"I didn't quite give them the nod over the Sydney four but I thought they were great."

But while Pinsent has given the four a glowing reference, Triggs-Hodge and Reed's disappointing season ended with silver in Poznan after being beaten by rivals Eric Murray and Hamish Bond.

It was Triggs-Hodge and Reed's fourth defeat at the hands of the New Zealanders, having been lost at the Munich and Lucerne World Cups and at Henley Royal Regatta.

And, with Saturday marking 1000 days to go until London 2012, Pinsent admits the clock is ticking for the British duo.

"Should they stick in the pair?" he added. "That's why Jurgen [Grobler] is head coach.

"I'd be surprised if they didn't stay in the pair for at least another race or two which takes us into early summer next year.

"If that isn't dramatically different to what they did at the worlds, then you're beginning to think 'well if this isn't working.

"But they've got a long winter to get through and I know they're motivated. Obviously they were disappointed with silver but I thought it was generally quite a good progression through the ranks.

"They're were pretty ordinary at times last year but they were much, much better at the worlds and they need to step on again to get up to gold medal standard and then who knows - it's something they'll have to judge in the middle of next season."