AUSTRALIA is on course to win its first men's eight world rowing title in 24 years.The crew, featuring Ballarat Olympian James Marburg, will vie for gold in tomorrow's World Rowing Championship marquee event.Meanwhile, four-time Olympian Anthony Edwards will be chasing his first gold medal in 10 world championships when he lines up in the men's lightweight four today.A star-studded men's eight final will cap off the racing program on New Zealand's Lake Karapiro.Rowing Australia made a bold move to increase chances for its priority boat, merging its two best men's four crews into a boat for the championships.Beijing Olympic silver medallists Marburg, Cameron McKenzie-McHarg, Francis Hegerty and Matt Ryan were combined with this year's Australian World Cup winners and teamed with cox Toby Lister.Head coach Noel Donaldson said his amalgamated crew had the capability and self-belief to win.But he was careful not to overhype their chances."It would mean a lot (to win)," said Donaldson."(Over-confidence), that's been a mistake in the past."Australia will face tough competition from Olympic silver-medallists Great Britain, which narrowly pipped the Australians in Tuesday's heats.Donaldson said a run in the repechage offered his crew an extra chance to gel in competition.Australia then powered to a line ahead of the Netherlands, which also earnt a spot in the A final.Also lurking on the water is race favourite Germany, home boat New Zealand and the United States.The eight has been a bogey event for Australia, which makes finals but rarely wins, since the 1986 world titles in Nottingham.In Olympic competition Australia took silver in the 2000 Sydney Games and bronze in 2004 in Athens but finished a disappointing last in the six-boat final in Beijing.Marburg won silver in the men's coxless four at last year's World Rowing Championships and featured in the eight for the 2006 and 2007 meets.Fellow former St Patrick's College rower Anthony Edwards will hit the water in the lightweight men's four A final after a gutsy semi-final row on Thursday.Edwards played a key vocal role in spurring his team to third and qualifying behind China and the Netherlands.The Australians edged out the Swiss in a thrilling duel with 500m to go.