The Dublin University juggernaut rolled on at Dubarry Park where they finished strongly to pocket a 27-6 win over disappointing hosts Buccaneers and climb into third place in Division 1B.
For the second successive match, Buccaneers were forced to make six changes in personnel which did not help their cause but, nevertheless, this was a very flat effort by the Pirates who had been inactive for the past three weeks in testing weather and underfoot conditions.
On the rain-soaked surface, they were far off the pace of the students whose play was much sharper and cohesive from their more settled team which had just two changes from their last outing.
Buccs had first benefit of the wind and rain, but Trinity settled quickly to take a ninth minute lead, their pack driving over the home line for scrum half Angus Lloyd to dot down at the rear. Jack McDermott was unable to add the conversion before the floodlights were turned on at this early juncture.
The midlanders suffered a further setback on 13 minutes when Alan Gaughan joined their growing injury list with Alex Hayman coming on in the centre. Shortly afterwards, debutant out-half Cameron Hertz was short with a penalty from five metres inside his own half but a Trinity player knocked on. From the resulting scrum, Buccaneers were awarded a penalty which the young South African converted.
Yet, the visitors promptly displayed their try-poaching capabilities when they quickly tapped a 21st minute penalty and moved the ball to the left where Killian O'Leary provided the overlap for a try which McDermott was unable to convert from close to the touchline.
Buccs responded with out-half Hertz kicking a second penalty five minutes later. Then, at the other end, Ben Carty put in a terrific try-saving tackle after a Buccs clearance had been blocked down.
Coming up to half-time, McDermott was missed by several tacklers as he made good yardage before Cian Romaine was sin-binned for slowing the ball illegally. It proved to be third time lucky for McDermott as he knocked over the resulting penalty kick to give Dublin University a 13-6 half-time advantage.
Buccs were forced to make a second change with Ricky Dixon coming on out of position for the injured Callum Boland for the second half. Hertz was fortunate shortly after the restart when his attempted clearance was blocked down but just as Romaine returned to the fray, Graham Lynch was sin-binned for the third successive match – referee Joy Neville produced her yellow card for an apparent foot trip.
Meanwhile, McDermott's place-kicking inconsistencies continued when he missed a kickable 50th minute penalty. Four minutes later, Nick McCarthy seemed to have run into a cul-de-sac but he somehow escaped the clutches of the home cover to send Tom Ryan cantering through unopposed for a try at the posts.
McDermott's conversion stretched Trinity's lead to 20-6 and there was little doubt now about the outcome. Nevertheless, Buccs continued to battle willingly although without any real cutting edge.
On several occasions, Brett Wilkinson's men got into promising positions inside the visitors' 22 but lacked the necessary composure or firepower to score. Their pressure did force a yellow card for Dublin University replacement Conor Gleeson with 13 minutes remaining.
Buccs just could not fashion a try that may have salvaged a losing bonus point and the students showed the hosts how it should be done two minutes before the end when Tim Maupin made a break from halfway and the USA international surged through for a fine solo try at the posts to earn Trinity a bonus point.
McDermott kicked the conversion to complete the 27-6 scoreline as the Pirates finished empty-handed for the first time this season.
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)