The signs were ominous for the visitors when a “seagulling” Pirates second-rower Jason Gagnier crossed in the left-hand corner.

The Highlanders hit back through the boot of Simon Clarke and, after weathering the early onslaught, had the opportunity to hit the front  minutes later but Clarke was unsuccessful.

Celebrating his 100th game, Andrew Wynne extended Pirates’ lead midway through the half after they were ruled held up.

From there, the momentum started to turn back their way and they kicked out to a 26-3 lead at half-time with breakaway Sam Collins twisting his way over in the shades of the break to secure the bonus point.

But they came out a different side in the second half. The precision they’d finished the first half with was lacking and their ill-discipline got  them into trouble.

Andrew Moodie and Andrew Collins both spent time in the bin.

Moodie was yellow-carded about seven minutes into the senond half  and they did lose their way a bit, coach Mat Kelly said.

“But we built again towards the end of the second half,” he said.

It’s been a problem for them for a couple of games, notably last week, but they finished the game  strongly, running in three tries in the last 15 minutes.

“Yet again our discipline let us down,” Kelly  said. “We’re just inviting teams back in.”

On the flip side their defence was  brilliant again.

There was no way through for the Highlanders. Every little break was covered.

“We’re really working hard for each other,” Kelly said.

“We are a tight team and it’s showing on the field.”

The scrum was also again dominant and they really disrupted the Highlanders’ lineout.

“The urgency (at the lineout) was better today,” Kelly said.

Moodie was one of their best along with Amos Ioasa, Doug Biffin and Brendan Rixon.

Highlanders co-coach Simon Clarke said they were given a bit of a lesson.

“They’re quite a formidable side. They’re the best side we’ve played this year,” he said.

“I still can’t question the effort the boys put in.

“It’s just finishing off the finer things.”

Little things like the ball not sticking and kicks not going out hurt them.

They also struggled to stifle Pirates’ ball runners.

“We couldn’t slow it down and once they got on a roll with their mauls they were very hard to stop,” Clarke said.

Still, they had some good passages of play and were camped on Pirates’ line for a little bit, but they just couldn’t get over.