UCC, Greystones and Suttonians are riding high in AIB League Division Two after bonus point wins this afternoon.
At the Mardyke, UCC got the better of their Cork neighbours Clonakilty, winning 28-21, with an eighth-minute try from Munster out-half Jeremy Manning setting them on their way.
Centre Peter Shallow, lock Ben Nagle and scrum-half Aidan Rees also touched down as UCC went straight to the top of the table.
Despite losing a plethora of players to Cork Constitution, the Cork college did extremely well to net together a side with 'limited preparation time', according to director of rugby Gary Byrne.
He said: 'We're very pleased with the performance of the players today - only five players, in the starting side, remain from last season so it's completely new team.
'All the new guys did very well. I don't want to single anyone out but our number two Mike Essex - he's not a new player as such - but he's playing in a new position.
'He went to the Under-21 World Cup in the summer with Ireland as a flanker but is now a converted hooker. I reckon he was 80-85% accurate with his lineout throwing against Clonakilty and that was particularly pleasing. It gave us a good platform to work off.'
Greystones edged De La Salle Palmeston 27-23 at Dr Hickey Park to join UCC at the summit. Openside flanker Rob Connolly grabbed a hat-trick of tries for 'Stones, while former captain John O'Beirne also dotted down.
Out-half James Power landed two conversions and a penalty for the Wicklow men.
Suttonians' long trip to Midleton was a fruitful one as they grabbed a 26-23 win. The north Dubliners, in their first season in the second tier, came from 23-19 down with ten minutes to go.
Winger Daragh Higgins crossed for the match-winning try. Out-half Paddy Maguire kicked three conversions with full-back and skipper Dave Walsh and new scrum-half Joe van der Westhuizen, who hails from South Africa but is no relation of former Springbok Joost, scoring the Sutton side's other tries.
Elsewhere in the division, there were away wins for Young Munster (23-16 at Bective), Highfield, who spoiled County Carlow's first day out in Division Two with a 25-13 defeat, and Dublin University, who saw off Old Belvedere 20-10.
Old Crescent also got the better of Thomond 20-10, while Barnhall pipped Malone, the only Ulster side in the division, 16-15.
