Dickson made two telling blows that turned the initiative back to Pirates. The first was a solo run of 18m when he cracked open the defence for Pirates' first try.
Thirteen minutes later he kicked a 59m penalty goal that shook the confidence of a Taieri team that had led 15-3 at the break.
Southern went on the rampage to score 11 tries to beat University A 70-3.
It was a day of high scores, with Kaikorai scoring 14 tries to beat Zingari-Richmond 90-3. Cam Rutherford, at first five-eighth, had a dream run, scoring two tries and kicking 10 conversions to score 30 points.
Southern remains unbeaten and has an eight-point cushion over second-placed Pirates. The two teams meet at Bathgate Park this Saturday.
Southern has 29 points, followed by Pirates 21, Alhambra-Union 20, Taieri 19, Dunedin 15, Kaikorai and Green Island 11, Harbour 10, University A 9 and Zingari-Richmond 0.
Pirates changed tactics and played 10-man rugby in the second spell to beat Taieri at Peter Johnstone Park.
Taieri spread the ball wide, and used the width of the ground to score two tries to lead 15-3 at halftime.
But the powerhouse tactics Pirates used in the second spell starved Taieri of ball and it scored 23 unanswered points.
Pirates dominated the scrum through the efforts of prop Halani Aulika and hooker Mahonri Schwalger. It drove forward up the centre as a pack, with loose forwards Dan Crichton, Warren Kearney and Paul Miller dominant.
Glenn Dickson moved back to first five-eighth and played a key role. He started the Pirates recovery when he used his strength to break the defence on an 18m run to score under the bar after seven minutes.
He made the most telling blow of all for Pirates when he landed a 59m penalty goal after 16 minutes.
Dickson kicked six goals from six attempts and scored 21 of Pirates' points.
Combative halfback Ryan Hammer was the best of the Taieri backs and hard-working No 8 Charlie O'Connell the best of the forwards.
Pirates 26 (Paul Miller, Craig Dickson tries; Dickson 2 con, 4 pen), Taieri 15 (Tom Davie, Charlie O'Connell tries; Andrew Reid con, pen). Halftime: Taieri 15-3. Referee: Doug Rodgers.
It was one-way traffic in the second spell as Southern put the foot down to thump University A at Bathgate Park.
Replacement winger Harry Uffindell came on in the second spell and used his blistering speed to score three tries and tear the student defence apart.
The Southern win came from a solid pack that dominated the set pieces and also controlled the breakdown.
Props Kees Meeuws and Warren Moffat gave Southern control in the scrums and were also skilled with the pick and go.
Locks Sam Gavigan and Tom Franklin gained a monopoly of ball in the lineout.
Luke Herden was able to break through the midfield and fullback Joe Hill had pace when entering the backline or counter-attacking.
The depleted students were still in the game after 30 minutes when they trailed Southern 12-3 and were attacking just 5m from the Southern line. But the students turned over the ball and it was grabbed by Meeuws, who drove up field with Moffat.
Herden used his strength to get to halfway and the Joe Hill then sped away over the last 50m.
Southern added another try before the break to lead 27-3 at halftime and took full control in the second spell.
Southern 70 (Harry Uffindell 3, Joe Hill, Greg Zampach, Seb Hill, Andrew Stead, Tom Franklin, Sam Gavigan, Kees Meeuws, Warren Moffat tries; Tony Fenner 6 con, pen), University A 3 (Tom Halse pen). Halftime: Southern 27-3.
Referee: Liam Scanlon.
Two late tries exaggerated the winning margin when Alhambra-Union beat Dunedin at the North Ground. The scores were level 20-20 at the break and it took another 27 minutes for Alhambra-Union to take the lead when prop Scott Manson crashed over.
Powerhouse centre Tumua Ioane was sent to the sin bin and Dunedin played with 14 men.
This was the turning point as Alhambra-Union then took charge and scored two late tries.
The Alhambra-Union pack had the edge in the set pieces, with hooker Tom Viggo and prop Manson giving it a solid scrum.
Locks Matt Kissick and Mitch Ewan supplied lineout ball.
But Dunedin was better in the loose, with No 8 Joe Dobson and flanker Hugh Blake getting the edge at the breakdown.
First five-eighth Peter Breen played a key role for Alhambra-Union and scored 19 points. He kicked six goals.
Ioane scored one of Dunedin's two tries and was the best back on the paddock.
Alhambra-Union 39 (Ben Qauqau, Peter Breen, Ryan Bowater, Scott Manson, Mike Moeahu tries; Breen 4 con, 2 pen), Dunedin 23 (Liam Edwards, Tumua Ioane tries; Edwards 2 con, 3 pen). Halftime: 20-20. Referee: Todd Pullar.
It took just 29 seconds for Kaikorai to score in its 14-try hammering of Zingari-Richmond at Bishopscourt.
The referee's whistle had hardly stopped echoing around the ground when Zingari-Richmond failed to gather the ball from the kick-off. Ben Atiga then cut the disorganised defence apart before offloading to prop David Te Moana on the wing to score.
From there it was one-way traffic for Kaikorai, which possibly had a harder training session during the week.
Zingari, despite the odd glimpse of promise, lacked cohesion and was guilty of falling away from too many tackles.
Kaikorai threatened to pass 100 points but was somehow kept scoreless in the final quarter, despite Zingari not seeing any grass outside its own half.
Jayden Spence proved an impact player for Kaikorai, after replacing first five-eighth Matt Te Tana in the opening minutes through injury. Spence was brought on to play at centre, from where he scored a hat trick. Cam Rutherford was moved into first five-eighth, where he had a dream run, scoring two tries and kicking 10 conversions. Halfback Logan Moore also scored twice and excelled behind a dominant forward pack.
Kaikorai 90 (Jayden Spence 3, Logan Moore 2, Cam Rutherford 2, David Te Moana, Mark McGregor, Rob Griffiths, Ben Atiga, Tony Ensor, Matt Cowie, Matt Direen; Rutherford 10 con), Zingari-Richmond 3 (Mark Hunter pen). Halftime: Kaikorai 45-3. Referee: Dave Kennedy.
Green Island finished the stronger to gain a surprise but deserved bonus-point win over Harbour at Watson Park.
Green Island battled back from a 5-14 deficit to play much better in the last hour and score four tries to four as it clinched its second win of the season.
Harbour started well but lost its way as the match progressed.
Its cause was not helped by it being hammered in the penalty count.
The game was still in the balance at 22-20 with four minutes left but Hanipale Galo made a scorching break down the right wing and first five-eighth Sam Eriepa was in support to take the pass and score the match-clinching try.
Centre Corey Kara and lock Sam Ready scored tries in the first quarter as Harbour built a handy lead but mistakes crept into its game, the penalty count increased and Green Island came back at it. Kara was sin-binned for a professional foul near the end of the first half.
Green Island tightened its defence, seized its chances on attack and outscored Harbour 15-6 in the second spell.
Flanker Scott Higginson was a towering figure for Green Island, in the tight-loose and lineouts, and No 8 Josh Beer was almost as good as the Green Island pack warmed to its work. Big centre Roma Sauliego scored one blockbusting try and had a handy all-round game.
First five-eighth Lance Taylor was neat and tidy for Harbour and the front row of Peter Mirrielees, Ben Nolan and Pieter van der Merwe outscrummed its opponent but the combination between backs and forwards was lacking.
Green Island 27 (Scott Higginson, Josh Beer, Roma Saulioge, Sam Eriepa tries, Saulioge 2 con, pen), Harbour 20 (Corey Kara, Sam Ready tries, Lance Taylor 2 con, 2 pen).
Halftime: Harbour 14-12. Referee: Adam Morrison.