Cork Constitution bounced back to the top of the AIL when they defeated Blackrock College at Temple Hill last evening. Derek Dillon and new Lion Ronan O'Gara played significant roles in the victory.

Constitution raced into an almost unassailable lead inside the opening quarter but then found themselves under pressure.

Winger Dillon, fullback Brian Walsh and O'Gara made all of the early running. Dillon finished off a fine movement after just seven minutes, Walsh raced in for a 14th minute try with O'Gara converting and the outhalf added the points to a second try from Dillon in the 20th minute.

At this stage Constitution looked in command but Alan McGowan put Blackrock back in the hunt with two penalties and a conversion of a Michael Jackson try. A further penalty before halftime left them just five points adrift.

That was where Blackrock's challenge ended. O'Gara and McGowan exchanged penalties in the early exchanges of the second half but the international outhalf landed two more kicks to hoist Constitution comfortably into a 30-19 lead before Ian McLaughlin scored an injury-time try.

CORK CONSTITUTION: B Walsh; D Dillon, C Mahony, R O'Donovan, A Horgan; R O'Gara, B O'Meara; I Murray, J Fogarty, J O'Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, C Taylor, U O'Callaghan, J Murray.

BLACKROCK: F Keating; G Browne, A O'Neill, M Jackson, P Johnston; A McGowan, D Popplewell; D Treston, S Byrne, I McLaughlin, R Casey, T Horgan, D McGettigan, J Ryan, M Rogers.

Referee: D Tyndall.