UCD put a dent in the aspirations of Division Two leaders, Old Crescent, with a 29-22 win at Belfield allowing City of Derry to occupy the top position once again.
UCD's pack took a lot of the credit for a second half offensive as Old Crescent threatened to take the game after the students ran in five tries. Old Crescent had a dreadful start going down 24-0 in just 20 minutes before clawing their way into the match. Finally it took a Billy Treacy penalty to take Old Crescent to within seven points of their opponents for some consolation.
Significantly Blackrock came out of their fallow period as sharp as could be expected, running in 44 points against the hapless Belfast Harlequins at Stradbrook for their third win from three outings.
Blackrock ran in three tries in a 12-minute first half burst which put the match well beyond the reach of their opponents. The Dublin side ended up with a seven-try haul with winger David Johnson claiming two. Michael Price, Brian O'Driscoll, Tom Keating, David Quinlan and Michael Jackson also contributed in a devastating show of backline strength.
Derry will not only be content to go back on top but must take some comfort of doing so by beating the fancied Galwegians 20-5 at Judges Road. Derry's forwards dominated the match despite conceding the first score when Matt Mostyn sent winger Peter Boylan through.
Derry responded with three Archie Kettyle penalties for a 9-5 half-time lead. Kettyle, the leading points scorer in Division Two, added two more kicks after the break before Galwegian out-half Eric Elwood left the field with concussion. An intercept try from Seamus Mallon finally ensured the home win.
Old Belvedere also kept up the tempo with a 13-18 win over Dolphin in a dull game. Dolphin failed to match their first half performance allowing Belvedere to race into the lead. Two penalties and a conversion from Richard Ball and a penalty try ensured the Dublin side's win.
At the bottom of the table a draw between Greystones and UCC failed to lift the two troubled sides out of the danger zone. Both teams, appropriately enough, ended with unlucky 13 points.
Equally desperate for something positive to happen are Portadown who fell to their sixth defeat in seven matches.
Sunday's Well ran in three tries in their 6-15 win, two of them in the last five minutes and Rory Cogan's just about on the final whistle.
