First five-eighth Andrew Reid returned from his injury break to kick seven goals and score 18 of Taieri's points when it beat Pirates 38-14 to move into second place.
Ben Nowell spearheaded a Taieri backline that made better use of the ball to beat Pirates at Hancock Park.
The midfield back used his pace to score two of his side's four tries when Taieri outmanoeuvred Pirates.
It was a game of two styles. Taieri spread the ball wide and was prepared to attack from all parts of the paddock. Pirates had a strong pack and used powerhouse tactics in a bid to break the Taieri defence.
In the first-round game, Pirates got the better of Taieri by attacking up the centre with its powerful pack.
Taieri had learnt its lessons and shut down the Pirates attacks at the source, with strong tackling by flanker Nathan Young and locks Kurt Webster and Matt Larson.
The forwards had an even battle. The big difference was in the backs. Apart from halfback Stephen Bruce, the Pirates backs displayed little penetration and were not able to break the stout Taieri defence.
The Taieri backs moved the ball efficiently and the long passes created space that led to tries.
First five-eighth Andrew Reid had a tidy game and his tactical kicking kept the pressure on Pirates. He landed seven goals from his eight attempts to score 18 points.
Taieri led 19-6 at the break. The game was made safe when winger Matt O'Sullivan and Moffat scored tries in the first 20 minutes of the second spell.
The other Pirates back to impress was second five-eighth Opini Toomalatai with his hard tackling. Flankers Shaun McCarroll and Josh Clark were the best forwards.
- Taieri 38 (Ben Nowell 2, Matt O'Sullivan, Kieran Moffat tries; Andrew Reid 3 con, 4 pen), Pirates 14 (Poamo Ailoilo try; Ben Miller 3 pen). Halftime: 19-6. Referee: Liam Scanlon.