Wind, rain and a 20-11 victory to Pirates was the story of the game at Hancock Park.
Kaikorai took an early lead in the opening minutes, through a Cam Rutherford penalty, but was quick to surrender this advantage, allowing Pirates blindside flanker Josh Clark to score straight from the restart.
From then on it was all ambulance-chasing for Kaikorai, as it attempted to get back into the match, but met with little success.
Clark, Warren Kearney, Shawn McCarroll and locks Nic Wilson and Anthony Teaupa cemented a game-breaking combination for Pirates, as it set about shutting down the attacking prowess of the Kaikorai backs, and silencing a Kaikorai forward pack that appeared to have an advantage in the set pieces.
Apart from a high number of handling errors, the Pirates backs did appear threatening at times, with Issac Beach displaying some good touches at second five-eighth, along with wings Marshall Suckling and James Ravelich.
It took Kaikorai 75min of game-time to come to terms with the conditions and when it did, its 70m drive up field with the ball in hand among the forwards with pick-and-go looked impressive.
Pirates 20 (Josh Clark, Marshall Suckling tries; Glenn Dickson 2 conversions, 2 penalty goals), Kaikorai 11 (Fetu'u Vainikolo try; Cam Rutherford 2 penalty goals).
Half-time: Pirates 10-8.
Referee: Todd Pullar
