British rower Lukor Grubor insists the men's eight will not rest on their summer laurels when they launch their bid for a medal on Monday.

The 2000 World Cup winners and 1999 world silver medallists, seeded third for the race, face formidable opposition in hosts Australia with Canada and Russia also in the second heat.

The British eight have won their two most recent encounters against the Aussies, both of them World Cup events.

At the end of June they crossed the line in five minutes and 58.76 seconds, with Australia coming in at 6:00.63.

The teams rowed faster in Lucerne in July, with Britain (5:35.48) barely edging Australia (5:35.79).

"There are three good crews to beat and another chance to have a go at all of them, especially Australia," said the 26-year-old Grubor, the number five.

"We've got a 2-1 record against them and we're looking forward to it. We believe we're well prepared. We've moved on since Lucerne and it will take someone big and strong to beat us."

Victory on Monday, which would put them straight through to the medal final, could be a deciding factor.

"It is a gap and for us, last year (at the World Championships), there was a lot to be said for racing in the repechage," Grubor said.

"We made improvements and it was definitely a learning process but then it's also possible, as the Americans showed last year, to make the same improvements and to use that break from racing positively and to turn up all guns blazing in the final.

"So, if we do win on Monday, it will be a week of preparation where we definitely look to build towards the final."