GB four make final

Britain, victorious in the last three Olympic finals, and Australia were drawn together in the semi-final of the high profile event despite the two crews being joint favourites for a race that will close out the London regatta on Saturday.

Australia had moved out into an almost length lead in the first half of the race with their smoother rhythm on Dorney Lake before the powerful British flagship boat moved through them, lifted by a wave of deafening noise that swept across the end of the course, giving them an early psychological boost.

However, neither crew looked overly tired as they crossed the line.

"I don't think it is an advantage for them," Australian Drew Ginn, the outspoken triple Olympic champion, told reporters. "There has been nothing between the crews for each of the races we have had.

"It would have been nice to have been one up but we get to fight another day. We have had a bit of a chat about it and we are resolved to stick to our guns".

The Australian four had set a best Olympic time in their earlier heat at the regatta following weeks of tough talking in the build-up to a race that has been dubbed an "Ashes" clash on a par with the cricketing rivalry between the two countries.

Ginn had set the tone by using his last news conference to suggest his "oarsome foursome" had "scared the hell" out of the British boat by beating them in their last race in Munich.

Ginn had said the Australian boat would aim to fire off the start and hold on at the end, comparing their style to a drag race.

Asked about the mind games, Britain's Peter Reed said they were not taking any notice of it.

"If we don't enter into it, it's not a game - it's just nothing," he said. "I just don't care."

The British men's four appeared to take a huge lift from their semi-final win and an earlier heat when they qualified comfortably.

The British boat had come into the final months leading up to the Games tipped for the Olympic title, having won the world championships in 2011 and setting a world best time in a heat at a World Cup race in Lucerne.

The Australian crew lost that World Cup final to Britain but beat the British boat twice in the final world cup regatta of the season in Munich, the last time the two boats met before Thursday.

"If it's the Ashes, then let's go for it," Britain's Andrew Triggs-Hodge said. "If they want to play cricket, I will be here rowing. Of course it's a great rivalry. It adds a lot of flavour."

Meanwhile in the lightweight women's double sculls, Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland won their semi-final by over a length ahead of fellow qualifiers Germany and Greece to ensure progress to Saturday's final.

China won the second semi-final, with Denmark and Australia qualifying for the final in second and third respectively.

Their male counterparts, Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase, won their men's lightweight double sculls semi-final ahead of France and Portugal, who also made Saturday's final.

The duo won the event in 2008 in Beijing and recorded a time of 6:36.62 to join Denmark, New Zealand and Germany in the final along with the French and Portuguese.