Buccaneers are busy building themselves into premier league material and the view must be pretty breathtaking from where they stand. Third-placed UCC were reduced to rubble at Keane Park on Saturday.
The bulldozers were out in force. Props Joe Screene and David Henshaw and former internationals Brian Rigney and Noel Mannion didn't need hard helmets to clear out the corridors around the designated areas at ruck and maul.
There is nothing subtle about Buccaneers's tactical approach to making a better life for themselves next season. Hard work is that much easier to sustain when everyone is pulling together. The students of University College Cork experienced this at first hand.
The lack of hard-nosed physical presence has always been a concern to college outfits, particularly against such a rumbustious forward eight. Six tries were conceded, including four to forwards, with Mannion getting two and the aforementioned props the others.
Galwegians maintained their pursuit at the weekend. They also retain a 100 per cent record, having played one match less than their western friends. However, they were short of spectacular in consigning Bective Rangers to their fifth consecutive defeat of the campaign.
Eric Elwood kept them ticking over, doing the simple things well. Something most of his team-mates found beyond them for long stretches of the game.
In fact, Bective were in with a shout until four minutes from time when Elwood's reverse pass - a la Connacht - put Nigel Carolan over under the posts.
Greystones had the wind taken out of their sails when Wanderers pulled into port at Dr Hickey Park. There was nothing wrong with Eric Olazabal's swing as the French import kicked five penalties and converted Kelvin Leahy's 58th-minute try.
Still, Greystones were given hope of a late reprieve when second row Tom Curtis went over for a try one minute from the end of normal time. However, Olazabal's contribution was highlighted further when Mark Wyse came up short from the conversion.
Instonians free-fall from previous heady heights continued unchecked at Shane Park. Malone sucked the life and the points from the home side with a display that was, in itself, unremarkable.
Relegation must now be a live possibility for Instonians. Even number eight Mark McBrien's sinbinning 10 minutes from the end failed to encourage Instonians and Michael Cox's try, converted by Neil Doak, six minutes from time ensured an away win.
The game of the day was at Donnybrook where DLSP inflicted a second defeat on Old Wesley and, in doing so, pinched their first victory. DLSP preferred to contain Wesley in the first half, with interprovincial flanker Declan O'Brien covering every blade of grass on the pitch.
Three second-half tries from Brian Hogan (2) and O'Brien were too much for Wesley to take, even though Simon Mitchell did his utmost with four second-half penalties.
Monkstown were trampled underfoot by a rampant City Of Derry at Sydney Parade. In this basement battle, Derry had all the answers, particularly in the second half when Neil Stewart, Steve Smith, Stephen Lindsay and Eugene Martin punctured Monkstown's last line of defence.
