LANSDOWNE came out on top of a keenly contested Dublin derby yesterday, but only just as Blackrock College defiantly claimed two bonus points in defeat.

A strong third quarter performance won the day, but Rock came back hard in the final 10 and will rue several missed kicks. Indeed the home side went in at half-time ahead 10-7. Emmett Farrell opened the scoring, before Gavin O'Mara streaked home to level the scoring, Robbie Dolan adding the conversion.

A superb effort from the home forwards saw Adam Byrnes cross the line before half-time, but Fionn Carr failed to add either conversion, missing a penalty to boot.

Byrnes' sin-binning at the start of the second half didn't do his team any favours and Ron Boucher punished them before Devin Toner grabbed a third try on the hour. Dolan added both conversions and a 68th-minute penalty.

A late flurry from the home side saw David Rowan and Michael Berne score tries to secure two bonus points.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE F Carr, A Henry, M Berne, S Morrissey, D Rowan, E Farrell, D Popplewell, D Dillon, R Woods, D Laffan, A Byrnes, O Cullen, M Cuffe, C Culleton, K Maloney Subs S Byrne for Maloney, 57 mins; J Mannion for Culleton, 66 mins LANSDOWNE R Dolan, N Walsh, C Casey, G Stafford, A McCormack, M Ashford, D Coughlan, R Boucher, N Ronan, D Lavin, D Toner, A Maher, K Cleere, G O'Mara, J Lyne Subs S Maher for McCormack, 40 mins; S McCarthy for Boucher, 48 mins; S Whelan for Coughlan, 66 mins Referee P Haycock (Dublin)