Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch have won gold at the world rowing championships in Shanghai, dominating the men's pair despite being only in the first year of their partnership.
The duo brought back memories of the New Zealand's dominance in the coxless pair in the mid 2000s through Eric Murray and Hamish Bond who won six successive world champs between 2009 and 2016 and two Olympic gold medals.
Taylor, 26, and Welch, 22, have had a rapid rise to the top of the world, after only having their first race together at the New Zealand champs in February.
Coached by Mike Rodger, they won their first World Cup regatta in Varese, Italy, in June, claiming silver a few weeks later in Lucerne, Switzerland.
They surged to a two-metre lead over European champions Romania within the first 250m and kept up their rhythm from there.
The Romanians could not peg them back, with the Kiwis winning in 6 minutes 37.87 seconds, with Romania five seconds back and just holding out Switzerland for silver.
The Avon Rowing Club pair were thrilled with the result.
"Usually we go out for two or 300 metres and then settle into a bit of a rhythm, but it was just such a bulletproof rhythm [today]," Welch said.
"We just knew we were on to something good, we knew we were going to have to work hard but were definitely in with a shot. Just seeing them fall further and further behind was pretty rewarding."
Welch said their plan had worked out to a tee.
"It's definitely something we've been working on throughout the regatta," said Welch.
"Trusting our base speed and for me in the bow, just sitting behind Ben, letting him lead it. We just did it perfectly today."
Welch is competing in his first full world championships, but he and Josh Vodanovich did win the men's pair at the under-23 world championships in Canada last year.
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Taylor said: "I guess getting into our first race together at the Nationals in February was a good first taste of what it could be like.
"We actually went out and dominated the first K in that one too. I was thinking maybe we can be in the medals at these World Cups, but to be able to be world champion…it's definitely something else!"
In the next event, Veronica Wall, Stella Clayton-Greene, Kathryn Glen and Ella Cossill - in their first regatta together as a crew - finished fifth in the women's quad, in a time of 6.47.90.
Double scullers Ben Mason and Finn Hamill missed out on the A final after finishing fourth in their semifinal.
They are in the B final tomorrow afternoon, while Mason and Kathryn Glen will team up in the mixed double on Sunday.
Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Rebecca Leigh and Juliette Lequeux compete in the women's four A final tonight.
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